


The Man With The Crimson Obsession

by McNuggets



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Aliens, Drugs, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Ghosts, Kidnapping, Language Kink, M/M, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior, Professor Membrane wins Father of the Year Award, Romance, Sirens, Stalking, Topping from the Bottom, Xenophiliac Dib (Invader Zim), Yandere Dib, past ZADF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:33:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 75,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25559620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McNuggets/pseuds/McNuggets
Summary: Dib Membrane, 27 and living a life not his own, rediscovers his lost passion through a man with curious red eyes; who is a lot more than what Dib thought him to be.
Relationships: Dib (Invader Zim)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MinnowShark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinnowShark/gifts).



> AU of The Girl With The Irken Tattoo
> 
> It's basically the same universe but everything's different, from Dib's perspective.
> 
> I dedicate this work to my best friend Min, she's been with me through all of this. This is for her.

It was one of those days that would transform his life, the day when Zim just… vanished.

He was starting Jr. High when it happened, getting taller like all the other humans on Earth. One morning he and Zim were arguing about his growing and suddenly the next morning Zim had missed school. Another day passed and it was the same. Dib had tried to find out what happened, he really did, but the base was empty. Zim’s entire home, abandoned. It was a perplexing moment in his life where he was wracked with concern, but as the days grew into weeks, and weeks into months with no signal or call of any kind, Dib was left with nothing. Nothing, nada, zip, zero, zilch. Within a year Dib had been stumped, horribly confused and hurt beyond measure that Zim had left him without even a goodbye.

They say time heals all wounds, and they were wrong. Time doesn’t heal wounds, time just scabs them over and leave sickening reminders all over your flesh until you’re forced to ignore it for the sake of moving on with your life. That’s what he had become within a few years, depressed and disheartened because the one thing that kept him going had left without a trace, and now he was forced to pay attention to the world around him. Dib’s broken heart and broken dreams made it very difficult for him to function, and he was forced to rip away his love for the paranormal to save himself before his depression became even worse. His father was happy, though, because finally Dib was leaning towards what he had been trying to get his son into since he was a child. Slowly but surely, Dib became a man of “Real Science”. His former life as a paranormal investigator was just that, his former life. A childhood fancy that he eventually grew out of. He continued his father’s path well into college, working with his father as an intern to the facility.

Plenty of years had past, and that time in his life had been reduced to a vague recollection, Zim and everything about him. His childhood was looked back on like a regretful memory, something he recalled on rare times when he was alone. He was now twenty-seven, working under his father at the Membrane Corporation. His days were now filled with science, from dawn until dusk, with nothing much in-between.

If he was honest with himself, his life had become completely uniform and predictable. He knew what he was going to do every hour of every day, nothing was different, nothing was new. It was a monotone normal that he had gotten used to, and never once did he think that perhaps it was a little more than unfulfilling.

Then someone crashed into his life, literally. Dib crashed into them on his way home, almost ran them over in the parking lot of his apartment complex. It was their fault to begin with, their line of vision was blocked by all the boxes they were carrying.

Instead of slamming on the horn Dib rolled down his window, “Excuse me?”

“Oh, don’t mind me.” They responded, using Dib’s car to adjust the amount of boxes in their grasp before shuffling out of the way. Dib only watched on, horribly confused before parking into his space and getting out. The sight was different than usual. The small moving van that was parked across from him, opened up with boxes littered about and one person moving all of them, at least carrying two boxes at a time, which was almost foolish, especially since they were going up the stairs--

“Shit.” Dib put his keys back into his pockets and hurried over to the person, taking note their attire. The sight of the lab coat made his eyes light up, it meant that someone in his realm was moving into the building. What an interesting concept, it meant that he would have someone to talk to outside of work! He wondered what field of science they were in, and made sure to catch up to them before anything happened. “Let me help you with that.” He said quickly.

“I wouldn’t do that--”

Dib discovered too late that lifting the second box was a huge mistake. His eyes widened at how heavy the box was in itself, almost tumbling down the staircase before managing to steel his footing. “What do you KEEP in here?” He cried.

“I told you not to do anything!”

He was met with bronze skin and long, black hair gathered in a braid, only accented by a red streak on a wayward lock that nearly fell into the man’s eyes, which were covered by sunglasses. The man paid Dib little mind and continued to haul the box up the stairs. “If you insist on helping me I should warn you that most of these are heavier than fuck.” The man said in an amused tone.

Dib could barely keep the box he had upright, ending up setting it down onto the floor and scooting it with his foot. “How can you carry two of them?” He asked in his own bewilderment.

The man stopped to eye Dib, looking him up and down, “Well for one thing, I’m not a weak lanky man without any muscle tone.”

Dib didn’t know whether or not to be offended or not by the other’s comment, “Hey! I’ll have you know--”

“Tell me I’m wrong.” The man challenged.

Dib sputtered, “Y-You’re not that different!”

“I can bench press my own weight, and it’s not called lanky, it’s called lithe.” The man corrected him, winking playfully. “Try again _fair beauty_.” He used his foot to kick open a door, “Kick it in here if you can.”

Dib blinked, looking at the man’s apartment and trailing his eyes across the hallway to another door, his own door. “You live right across from me.” What were the odds? A scientist that was now living across from Dib. He could instantly see a future with the two of them meeting for coffee and sharing views on the scientific world. Did he have a job yet? Was he established? Perhaps he could see if his father wanted--

“Earth to whoever-you-are.” The man snapped his fingers in front of Dib’s face, and suddenly the man realized he spaced out. Dib felt embarrassed all of a sudden.

“Uh--”

“Do you want me to use a name?” The man questioned, crouching down to pick up the other box. “I go by Damien, if you want. Damien Duvatt.”

Dib blinked owlishly, “I’m Dib, Dib Membrane.” He followed Damien into the other’s apartment, looking at the few amount of boxes in various places along with a single couch. “I was just thinking that you were moving in across from my apartment.”

Damien’s eyes brightened and he pulled up his sunglasses, revealing to Dib red eyes, nearly crimson. Dib couldn’t help but stare at those eyes. Why were they…

“About time I meet someone who lives here.” Damien’s voice brought him back to the present, and Dib snapped out of it. “No one has been out since I entered.” The man took note of Dib’s attire, the lab coat similar to his own but with the Membrane Corporation logo on the breast pocket. “Huh.”

Dib looked at his chest, frowning, “Huh what?”

“I have relatives that work for your father.” Damien said amusedly.

“How did you--”

“If you have that hair and your last name is Membrane it’s pretty obvious.” Damien smirked, pointing out Dib’s telltale hair scythe. “Yeah there’s a town like south from here, New Haven. I have a cousin that lives there, Dakota Drake. She’s a scientist, pretty damn intelligent. In fact, all of us in the family are whiz kids. That and we have some sort of pattern going on, all of our names start with D. Her name is Dakota, my uncle is Daniel, my aunt is Deirdre. My mother’s Dominga and my dad’s the odd one out going by Carlos. Almost everyone in my family is an accomplished scientist.”

Dib’s amber eyes brightened in hope. He didn’t have many friends in his life, even after renouncing the Paranormal his standing didn’t raise by any means necessary. He was still the freak and the weirdo in school, and not even any colleagues bothered to befriend the son of Professor Membrane. He felt pretty optimistic at this point in time, because now he was in the presence of a man around his age that held the same interests as he did. He had a chance to have a constant contact outside of his job. Dib suddenly felt hyper-aware of his thoughts and nervous, hoping that Damien couldn’t read the sudden apprehension on him. This was his time to make a good impression. Was he doing good so far? What was he saying before?

“Great.” Dib pushed the word out, because he _needed_ to fill the silence. He felt entirely awkward and jittery, hoping to everything that was holy that this man wouldn’t see how much of a loser he was. “So what do you do?” He asked then, wincing at his own question. He just said he was a scientist for Christ’s sake!

Damien grinned, “Well my profession is an engineer, people commission me to make them machines, but my main passion is a paranormal investigator.”

All the oxygen left Dib at once, and he stared blankly at Damien, his eye twitching, “You’re a...paranormal investigator?” His voice wavered as he asked it, suddenly feeling weak in the knees. What was this, a cosmic joke or some sort of intricate prank that someone was putting on him? All he could do was watch the man, hoping that it might be a joke, or that he heard wrong.

Damien wasn’t nearly in the realm of saying ‘syke’ or ‘gotcha’, neither was he denying it. No, he was rather unabashedly proud of admitting that he was a paranormal investigator. It didn’t make sense to Dib at all, because all his life it was seen as a crackpot profession, a thing only for crazy people. That’s why his father hated it so much. Everything was a hoax, a myth, people wouldn’t freely admit they were into the paranormal, because it was taboo and embarrassing.

“Why are you a paranormal investigator?” Dib asked then, almost in his own disbelief. He needed to know this man’s reasons all of a sudden.

Damien thought about it casually, “Because I can do things that no one else can.” He said simply, as if he was talking about the weather.

“...how… so?” Dib wondered if he was having a stroke.

“Well, remember when you wondered how I could carry two heavy boxes?” Damien grinned, “I kinda cheated doing that.” He went over to a box to lift it up, carrying it somewhat before releasing the box itself, and Dib knew he wasn’t seeing things, because suddenly that box was floating between his hands. Damien wasn’t touching it at all, but it was fucking _hovering_.

Suddenly Dib needed to sit down, wandering over to the couch and collapsing onto the seat. “You--you’re serious.” His voice broke as he said it, unable to look at Damien at all. “You have telekinesis.”

“Yeah, everyone has that reaction when they first find out.” Damien grinned, putting down the box and heading into the kitchen to get a glass of water for Dib. “It makes a great party trick, especially when no one knows what I can do. I had a riot in college, pranking my instructors was the best part of it.” He returned to Dib and handed him the glass. “Not everyone believes me until I show them.”

Dib wordlessly took the glass and took a large drink, swallowing in three gulps and finally directing his eyes over to Damien. “Shouldn’t you be trying to keep this a secret?” He asked.

“Why would I do that?” Damien smirked, sitting next to Dib, “I’m not ashamed of it or anything. It’s a part of me, why not treat it as if it’s normal?” He hovered some droplets of water out of Dib’s glass and flicked his fingers, the droplets spraying Dib’s face. The man winced and put down the glass quickly, standing up with his hands out in surrender.

“Okay, first of all, don’t do that. Please. Second of all, this--this is all too quick. I just met you and suddenly you spring onto me you’re a paranormal investigator with insane abilities and I’m going to need a little while to let this sink in. I’m very, terribly, sorry, but I need to leave.” He began backing out of the apartment as he said it, needing to hide in his own to gather his thoughts. He was right, it was all a little too much for his brain to comprehend at the moment. Given his history with the paranormal, and everything in between, he wasn’t able to handle this. Not yet.

Damien didn’t look bothered at all from Dib’s reaction, looking calm and collected as the man retreated, “Well, sure, you know where to find me when the shock wears off.” He waved and turned away, going back to what he was doing.

Dib couldn’t unlock the door fast enough, clamoring inside and shutting his door, pressing his back against it and breathing out a ragged sigh. He put his head in his hands and raked it through his hair, trying to come down from this revelation.

All these years of diving into science and avoiding the paranormal and suddenly he was being cornered by the very thing he was trying to stay away from. Worse than that he was now a witness to something wholeheartedly amazing and scary at the same time.

He didn’t know if he would be able to handle it.

* * *

The next day Dib had awoke early, having taken sleeping pills to get a night’s rest. It was something he was used to over the years, taking pills in order to sleep or else he had insomnia. After what he had encountered the day before, he really needed those pills. Today was Saturday, and that meant a day without work, and the realization made him groan and press his palm to his forehead. That meant possibly running into that man across the hall. He didn’t like the fact that he had decided that his best plan of action was to avoid Damien at all costs, but it sounded better than… having to deal with his fears.

He was being a chickenshit and he knew it. Damien was the life that Dib was meant to have, a man who was successful and happy who did what he loved with super amazing cool powers as well. But, that wasn’t him, was it? That wasn’t his life. Dib’s life was to be a famous scientist just like his father and do great things for humanity, all in the name of science. Everything that Damien is was just a pipe-dream Dib had in his early childhood, long before he came to the realization that it meant nothing to him. That was it, right?

If he went with that, then avoiding Damien would be counterproductive to his growth, would it? No, Dib was a scientist, Dib was a man of logic. Logically, befriending Damien would be cathartic for himself, and the more Dib learned about Damien the more Dib would let go of a life that could have been, right? Dib would realize that his future was on the right track. Besides, Damien was probably miserable. If his life revolved around the paranormal then his parents would really be disappointed in him. He said it himself, he came from a scientific family. They probably hated him for his life choices, and he probably loathed himself secretly. All that positivity he saw yesterday was just for show. Those powers, he was embarrassed by them.

Right?

He wouldn’t have shown them to Dib if he didn’t want validation that he was normal.

…

That had to be it.

Dib took a steadying breath, slowly getting out of bed to start the day. He formed a plan in his mind, getting himself dressed in his iron-pressed shirt and slacks and a lab coat. He was going to take his new neighbor out for coffee.

He was going to make a friend.

After getting his shoes on he got his things; phone, wallet, keys, double-checking himself before stepping out the apartment.

It was quiet, and so was Damien’s apartment. He wondered if the man was still in bed, but Dib had no idea what his phone number was. He just had to hope that Damien was awake.

He was just about to knock until the door that it swung open, Dib’s jaw dropping at the sight in front of him. He suddenly felt cold and clammy, his heart pounding in his chest as a warmth pooled in his groin. In front of him was Damien, dripping wet and naked everywhere save for the low hanging towel that looked like it was about to fall off. Dib had to force his eyes away from the trail of hair leading down to his…

“Funny seeing you up at this hour.” Damien decided to prop himself against the doorframe, one arm up while the other holding on his towel. “You like what you see?”

Dib’s eyes finally met Damien’s, and he noticed that they were still _red._ Were those contacts? No, that couldn’t be real. He put the thought aside, “What are you already doing up? It’s 7AM.”

Damien smiled, “Oh I was up since 5.” He pointed to the floor below Dib, and the man’s amber eyes followed, spotting a rolled-up newspaper next to his feet. “Get that for me will you?”

Dib’s brain short-circuited for just a few moments and he nodded dumbly, bending over to pick it up. When he stood up Damien had already went back into the apartment, and Dib went still, looking inside. Everything was unpacked and in place. “Oh.” He breathed, stepping further inside. It nearly looked normal, save for the posters of aliens and other legends like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness, a few bookshelves with a ton of books. The couch, some chairs, a drafting table with a desk right next to it with little gadgets on the top and small drawers filled with various items…

“How did you get this done so quickly?” Dib found himself asking, staring at the room with awe. It was then he remembered the man’s ability, watching as Damien held out his hands and wiggled his fingers. “Oh yeah.” He murmured, doing his best to avoid looking at Damien’s body. “So...what were you doing at 5AM?”

Damien made his way back into his bedroom and the towel was thrown on the doorknob, “Well, I gotta keep myself in good shape just in case I’m thrown into any danger so I usually do my workout at 5 in the morning, one hour of exercises and then I go out for a run at 6. You caught me just after my shower.” When he came back out he was now wearing low-rise black jeans, however there still wasn’t a shirt. Dib’s eyes fell onto his chest again, noting how toned Damien looked compared to himself. He didn’t even _run_ …

“C--can you put a shirt on?” Dib asked in a high-pitched voice, and Damien grinned.

“We’re all boys here, Dib, unless I’m giving you a boner.” He chuckled when Dib sputtered before glaring at him, stepping back to his room, “Alright, alright.” He pulled out a band-shirt from his pile and shrugged it on. A nice black and red shirt that went with his pants. “So what do I owe the pleasure? Did you stop by to say hello?” Damien slipped on some slides, going over to the couch to perch on the arm while Dib stood there, looking very awkward and nervous.

No Dib, you were here for validation. The man took a steady breath and smiled at Damien, “Oh I was wondering if you wanted to go for coffee, I could show you around Bycoast if you want, since you’re new here.” Dib was hoping that Damien would say yes to the offer, he had pretty much nothing else to do on his weekends off. He usually read up on science papers and watched documentaries until he fell asleep, but now he was being given a chance to socialize, and despite it being with someone who was very unhappy with their life, he still wanted to try. Maybe Dib would be able to help him, that sounded like a swell idea in itself.

While Dib was thinking Damien had checked his phone, looking over his schedule and shrugging. “I suppose I can rest today, my machines can wait.”

Dib grinned, “Alright then, let’s take my car.”

Damien pocketed his phone and picked up a lanyard with two keys on it, shoving it into his pocket before gathering his hair to put it into a messy bun. Dib was doing his best not to stare, but Damien winked at him anyway, making the other man look away quickly. It wasn’t right that he had to be attractive as well as crazy, but it almost seemed like a cosmic test for him to take, to see if he was strong enough to withstand his past temptations.

They left the apartment and Dib led him out to his car, and from there they headed down the street. Damien had his sunglasses back on, and Dib still thought about the man’s eyes…

“So how does someone from a science family become an engineer?” Dib asked just to fill the silence. Damien was already sat back, gazing out the window.

“Oh I’ve had a big technology hobby since I was a child. I would make my own versions of things, better versions. I remade my dad’s alarm clock and created intercoms for the entire house. I made my own AI when I was sixteen.”

Dib blinked, trying to keep his eyes on the road. “You made your own AI? That’s quite advanced for a sixteen year old.”

Damien shrugged, “I was trying to copy this ancient relic. Google Glass? Humanity’s first try at a futuristic mind-reading engine. Instead of advancing on that I ended up trying to improve the AI to that and I ended up with my own that did everything twice as good. It wasn’t all that impressive.”

“That’s still something great. I don’t really see why you’re a paranormal investigator when you are an accomplished engineer.” Dib frowned, “It seems kinda unbalanced. Science is real and the paranormal is--”

Damien laughed before Dib could finish, and the scientist cast a glance at him, not really enjoying how the other had just laughed so hard. “What?”

“Please don’t tell me you’re one of those nuts who believe the paranormal is bullshit.” Damien shifted over to face Dib, grinning. “Because I’ve encountered many of them.”

“I’m not saying that it isn’t real, I’m just saying that is it has nothing of value to it. Nothing paranormal can give you a cohesive job or any sort of valuable future.” He thought back to his own life, how he had no friends because of his interest in the paranormal, how his father called him crazy.

“Dib, you don’t really know how much I make with my commissions, do you? I supply a great deal of paranormal researchers with machines that help them in their line of duty and I get paid well because of it. I’ve been contracted by the top-name people, I’m even one of the finest members in the Swo--” Damien shut up quickly, “A private paranormal organization.”

Dib parked his car, “The Swollen Eyeball Network?” He asked.

Damien’s eyes brightened, “You know the Swollen Eyeballs?” He grinned, “So you’re not a total nerd.”

If the man was one of the top members of the Swollen Eyeballs, something Dib had been trying to get to for ages, then that meant Damien was pretty damn good at what he did. But this wasn’t right, this man was a pretty content person on the outside, how could he be fulfilled? “What does your family think about this?” Dib asked suddenly, needing to know. “They’re all people of science, they can’t really think you’re--”

“Oh, my parents are perfectly fine with it.” Damien said, which almost sounded far away at the moment. The more Damien spoke the more Dib felt further and further from reality. “I mean my dad, he doesn’t care what I do unless it’s actively trying to overthrow the government meanwhile my mother said as long as it made me happy she supported it.”

Dib wasn’t sure if he heard it right, or if he heard it at all. Was he even there? Was he having a crisis? This had to be an episode, it just had to. No, it couldn’t be. It was just… Damien Duvatt. A man who Dib just met, a man who was the pure opposite of him in every way. A man who seemingly had… he had to get a hold of himself. Dib took a steadying breath. Sure, his parents may have accepted him, but what about his friends? No one had helped him move into that apartment, surely people treated him like an outcast.

“What about… friends?” Dib was afraid of getting any answer, but he needed to know, “I’m sure being involved with the paranormal didn’t give you many friends.”

Damien clicked his tongue for a moment, “Oh I had plenty of friends.”

Dib suddenly wished he ran Damien over with his car. “You… had friends?”

“Well, if you haven’t noticed by now,” Damien smirked, “I’m a pretty charismatic person. I can talk a blind man into sight.” He opened the door after that, getting out of the car.

It was a moment until Dib actually followed him out, suddenly feeling entirely, horribly, depressed. Dib’s history with the paranormal had effectively made him a pariah with his peers and an outcast in his own home, meanwhile a man who was around his age had experienced the opposite, everything Dib had wanted. Damien had the life Dib had always dreamed of. Loved by his family, surrounded by friends, top agent in the Swollen Eyeball Network…

He continued not to talk as he and Damien walked into the cafe, and Dib almost felt like leaving so he could go back home and back into bed, curl up in a ball and weep for at least the entire day. He didn’t notice Damien nudging his shoulder, only when the man snapped his fingers in Dib’s face did he zone back into the present, realizing that he was standing at the counter as the barista was waiting for him to order.

“Oh--” He blinked, looking along the menu, “I’ll have just a tall black coffee.” He said hollowly, taking out his wallet before Damien stopped him.

“I’ll get it.” He said, looking charming as he did it. That was another thing that Dib didn’t have and Damien drowned in, his absolute attractiveness and charm that seemed to catch everyone’s attention, undying charisma that rolled off of him in waves. Just by looking at the man you could tell that his life had been filled with conquests. In comparison, Dib was just a pale, sweaty flake. He was a stale slice of bread that was tossed into the bin because it had no taste. He was hardly attractive or charismatic, and he was boring as a sack of potatoes. Back when he was a child, at least he had a personality. Now he was just a struggling copy of his father.

Damien got Dib’s coffee for him after their orders were done, the two of them sitting next to the window that exposed the street. Dib was still inside himself, his chin in his hand as he stared out the window, thinking over past regrets and future choices, where everything went asunder and the loss of his joy. Damien was oblivious to the other’s turmoil, sipping his cappuccino and enjoying the music overhead. “So,” He began, his voice seemingly bringing Dib out of his reverie. Dib looked over at Damien with tired eyes, wondering what the man was going to say to further upend his life. “How do you know about the Swollen Eyeballs?” The man questioned, honestly curious.

Dib looked down at his hands, noticing that they were shaking just slightly, small tremors that he used to tap the surface of the table anxiously. “Well, until I was fifteen I was a member.” He said nervously, pleading that Damien wouldn’t overturn his life on some revelation. “How long have you been with them?” He returned the question with his own, frowning.

The man thought about the question for a moment, “I was in it since I was seven.” He said, “How old are you, perhaps we knew each other?”

“Twenty-seven.” Dib decided to warm his hands on the coffee cup, looking down at the black liquid. He couldn’t really look at Damien at the moment.

“Oh sweet, I’m twenty-six. We definitely knew each other.” Damien grinned, taking a sip of his drink and setting it aside. “I’m Agent Runestone.”

Dib nodded, vaguely remembering the Junior Agent by the name of Runestone. He didn’t pay attention to the other all that much while he was there, more invested in defeating Zim than anything. “I was Agent Mothman.”

“You’re AGENT MOTHMAN?” Damien’s voice came in a shout and the man had accidentally tipped his drink over the edge of the table. Dib’s eyes widened at the sight because instead of it falling and splashing all over the floor, the cup and the contents spilling out froze entirely in mid-air, and he looked around, alarmed. No one seemed to be noticing at all, but when he looked back at Damien the man didn’t seem to care, staring at Dib wide-eyed and in shock, nearly out of his seat.

“Keep it down!” Dib quickly caught hold of the cup and scooped the contents back up, settling it down onto the table in a quick sense of urgency. “And stop using those abilities in public!” He whispered.

“Y-you don’t get it.” Damien’s voice was quiet, almost emotional. “I’ve looked up to you ever since the beginning.” His eyes were focused solely on Dib, “Your feats, they passed by the Senior Members without a care but I looked up everything you ever did.”

Dib wondered if his breathing had stopped, staring at this man in complete and utter disbelief that at one point in his life he had been looked up to. That someone he barely knew looked to him as something more than a freak. Suddenly nothing existed outside of their personal bubble and it was just Dib and Damien, the white noise fading into nothingness.

“When you left I was unhappy.” Damien continued, “I tried to get your real name from the Senior Members but they wouldn’t give it to me. I tried to find you for months before they forced me to stop.” Damien broke into a small laugh then, “Holy shit--I’m finally meeting you. I’m finally meeting Agent Mothman!”

Dib had no idea what was real anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unlike the first story, the sex isn't in every other chapter. Be patient, you'll see it.

Damien removed his sunglasses, his entire body vibrating in excitement. Right before his eyes was THE Agent Mothman! It had been Dib Membrane all along. This was amazing! This was outstanding! This was… Was it too early to call this fate or kismet or was it appropriate at this point and time? He thought it over before deciding that, yes, this was fate. Sharing a morning together drinking coffee. He never assumed that he’d run into Agent Mothman at random, he never thought he would find the man at all. The Swollen Eyeballs had discouraged him into finding the boy when Damien was younger. Damien didn’t have much to go on anyway. He only knew the boy’s voice, everything else was ominous.

This was what Agent Mothman really looked like… Damien continued to gaze at him, taking in the pale skin, the amber, tired eyes. The hair and scythe-lock. He wasn’t too skinny, but a little hearty meal might fix that problem. What did Dib say he was? A scientist? Dib had mentioned the paranormal as if it was a fool’s game, and now Damien slowly understood why Mothman had left entirely. He had lost interest in the paranormal. He had given up. But… why did he give up? Mothman used to be so passionate about his findings! Did something happen? Damien thought about it, remembering the moment that Mothman was in the midst of panic. His… his alien friend had vanished… was that why he left? The disappearance of his alien must have been the major catalyst for Mothman’s sudden need to give up everything. That seemed quite heartbreaking, no wonder he had left.

Dib seemed to be bothered by the man’s crimson eyes gazing at him in admiration, looking back down at his coffee and scratching the back of his neck nervously. “Can you stop that?” He asked in a low whisper. Damien realized quickly that he was staring like a lovestruck fan of a legend and laughed nervously, taking another sip out of his cup.

“Sorry, I got carried away.” He fixed a grin after that, “So, we were going to tour Bycoast together?”

Dib finally looked up at the other man, unable to handle everything that already happened. He had been through one extreme to another, a horrible revelation about why his life had become so terrible and now he realizes that one person in his lifetime looked up to him like he was some sort of hero, and that person was sitting across from him. Damien Duvatt had become the bane of his existence in the shortest amount of time possible for it took him to actually hate anyone, and the only thing Dib wanted to do was crawl back into his bed and sleep the weekend away. “Actually,” He breathed, standing up and going for his keys. “I have work to do.”

Damien stood up with him, looking confused, “You have work to do?”

“Yeah, sorry, something just came up and I can’t ignore it.” Dib said distractedly, leading Damien outside and back to the car. “I have a conference call that I need to make, and then some papers I need to get done.” He continued, only starting the car as soon as Damien buckled in.

Damien didn’t know whether or not Dib was telling the truth, but the way he had become so depressed suddenly within the span of the car ride was quite disconcerting. “Are you okay?” He asked.

“Okay? Yeah!” Dib spoke up in a high voice, “I’m _great_! Terrific even! I haven’t felt better!” He couldn’t get back home fast enough, the anxiety from this conversation starting to come out of him like small droplets of sweat. “I’m fine.” He repeated, lower now, his eyes focused on the road in front of him.

Damien went quiet after that, having his doubts about Dib’s sudden mood. He took out his phone again and checked his schedule, sighing. “Yeah, I think I should get back to work as well.” He said after that, turning off his phone. “I have a paranormal music box and an EMF meter to create, there’s a convention I have to go to later this month and I have an extra ticket--”

“Sorry I’m busy.” Dib interrupted him quickly.

“I didn’t say what day it was--”

“Doesn’t matter.” Dib pressed on, finally feeling relief as they turned into the apartment complex. He parked the car and got out quickly, Damien jogging behind him because Dib was moving too fast.

Before Damien could say anything else Dib had slammed the door in the other’s face, audibly locking it. The engineer just stood there, his eyes on the peep hole before sighing and going back to his own apartment. Damien stood in his living room for a moment, hearing something start blasting, cybergoth music. He let out an amused chuckle and smiled to himself, “Mothman loves cybergoth…” He said in the midst of a giggle, shaking his head and moving to his small workspace. The EMF meter was halfway finished, locked up securely in the drawer of his desk. He took it out and set it down, grabbing the lab coat that was settled on the chair and a pair of goggles, slipping them on. After that he plugged in a soldering iron and began to work on the wiring.

Two intense hours later Damien had finally set down his soldering iron, taking a calm breath and stretching out his arms. He could still hear the music, although by now it warped into a classic goth album from The Cure. Damien listened to the music with quiet admiration while he continued to work.

Across the hallway Dib was curled up under the blankets in his own bed, his glasses perched on the nightstand as he continued sobbing out ugly tears. It wasn’t fair. He had it so rough, he had the shittiest life one could ever imagine, while some other boy from across the country was living out his dreams. He wanted to be respected, he wanted to be sought after, he wanted to be revered and looked up to. It wasn’t fair that everything good had passed him and went straight into whoever he is… no… _Damien Duvatt_ from Sarajevo, New Mexico.

Yes, he looked up Damien on the internet. He had to know about this man without asking him anything. He couldn’t face him anymore. He couldn’t bare to hold a conversation with him. Dib did the next best thing, using his hacking abilities to do a deep search on the man. A man that was a Straight A student and popular, on the cheerleading squad, winner of the Science fair six times in a row, honors graduate and valedictorian in college. A bachelor's degree in Parascience with a minor in Electrical Engineering. He was amazing. He was impressive… He was…

Living right across from him. He was someone who said they had looked up to Mothman. To _him_. A man that admitted looking for him. He couldn’t understand it, he couldn’t entertain the thought of someone who was connected to him in the most insignificant way now running into him at this point and time. It was like a conspiracy theory, a strange cosmic joke. God was laughing at him, God or Darwin or whoever was up there. It couldn’t be a coincidence, could it? A man who lived in New Mexico suddenly _moving in across from him_ , deciding to live in Bycoast, New York.

He was becoming pissed off now, starting to wonder if this was some plot against him. What if this wasn’t Damien Duvatt, but Zim in disguise? Zim was an engineer, Zim knew about his link to the Swollen Eyeballs. Zim would do something this stupid, like giving himself telekinesis, just to see Dib suffer. Zim would know where he would live as well, all down to the very last mile, and he would be able to fabricate an entire life with birth certificates, files, records. That’s what Dib had. He had _everything_ on Damien Duvatt. Agent Runestone. _Zim._

It had to be Zim.

There was no other option.

Across from Dib’s apartment, Damien was balancing himself on his chair, not using his foot on the table but actually using his abilities to keep him balanced as he lounged against it, his arms folded behind his head while he re-considered everything he was scheduled to make within the next two weeks. He had about two commissions but the rest of his plans involved the rented out booth he obtained at the next ParanormaCon. Though, he also planned on doing some sightseeing as well, thinking of the great list of haunted houses that he found on the internet. Bycoast was a hotbed of paranormal activity, and he was going to explore every single part of it.

It’d be nice to do it with Agent Mothman…

No, Dib. Dib Membrane.

He could convince Dib to go with him, could he? He had the ability to do so, he was known to talk a perfectly good game. His mind wandered south for a moment, imagining another talk and different outcomes. Dib was certainly handsome enough. He just loved that tall and nerdy look. Glasses were a plus, he loved men in glasses. Before his mind went any further south a knock tore his attention away, effectively breaking his concentration and Damien cried out, catching himself before the chair landed onto the floor. He pushed himself back into a proper place and got up as if he almost didn’t crash, pulling his goggles up over his eyes and heading for the door.

Damien grinned when he opened the door, “Well, I thought you said you had to work!” He was all-too-happy to see Dib, the man not looking anywhere near depressed and tired, but more angry and determined.

“No, I had someone to take care of it for me.” Dib said harshly, “Can I come in?”

Damien spread his arm out and allowed him entrance, and Dib stormed into the living room like he was on a mission, looking around the room and trying to find an obvious tell that it was Zim. “Make yourself at home.” Damien said kindly.

“Don’t mind if I do.” Dib said, turning to inspect the room itself. Damien watched him before shrugging his shoulders, going back to his drafting table.

“If you need anything to eat there’s food in the cupboard.” Damien told the other, putting his goggles back on.

“I’m fine…” Dib said, inspecting the figurines. “So… tell me.” He began, narrowing his eyes and tapping the alien bobblehead on his stand. “Where did you used to live before here?”

Damien restarted his soldering iron and began working, “Serajevo, it’s a big town in New Mexico near Roswell. Guess where I spent my summers?” He chuckled jokingly. He didn’t notice Dib rolling his eyes at the answer, mouthing _figures_. Of course the alien would pick such a predictable place to live. No, Zim wouldn’t say Roswell, but he would pick a stupid town near it to try and trip others up. He stepped towards the bookshelf, skimming his eyes over the book titles. There were macabre horror titles and some informational space books. It was the astronomy books that stood out to him, and Dib put a finger to his chin.

“What’s your favorite planet?” Dib asked curiously.

“Mars, of course.”

“HA!”

Damien looked up suddenly, turning to Dib, the man was pointing at him accusingly. The engineer didn’t quite understand the reaction, snorting in amusement. “What, is it that predictable?” He asked.

“That’s the most predictable answer I’ve ever heard!” Dib shouted, “Mars, like the face of Mars, remember the butt of Mercury?”

“Oh I remember hearing about that from Agent Darkbootie.” Damien grinned, “Sounded funny, really. I predict that there’s a dick on Venus.”

Dib’s hand lowered confusedly and he blinked, “A dick on Venus?” That wasn’t the answer he was hoping for, but it must have been a conceived ploy. He turned around again, frustrated. He needed to catch Zim in the act.

Damien casually went back to his invention, whistling a tune as he worked until he realized there was a looming presence behind him. He glanced back, seeing that Dib was watching him working intently as if it was a presentation. “Take a seat.” Damien offered, gesturing to the seat next to him. Dib gave him a suspicious eye and sat in the chair, keeping his eyes on Damien’s back.

It must be some sort of advanced disguise that made his pack invisible. That’s why his back looked the way it did. There was no way to know until he had to touch his back and there was no perfect way in doing this. If he did it then Zim would catch on immediately and disappear again, or worse he’d kidnap Dib and lock him up in somewhere dark and cold. He had to play it cool, like he didn’t know that Zim was a fucking alien in disguise. He watched Damien work instead, keeping an eye on his hands. The lithe fingers with the two rings on his matching middle fingers. Was that a sign of some sort? A part of his disguise? He wanted to grab those hands and inspect them, perhaps stick the fingers in his mouth and taste how alien the skin felt under his tongue.

Nothing about that was creepy in the slightest.

Damien was not doing well working while someone was staring a hole into his person, glancing up at him from time to time before setting down the tools and his project. “Are you done by now?”

When Damien pulled up his goggles Dib was brought back to the color of his eyes. Red. That was impossible. Red eyes didn’t exist, did they? Before he knew it he got to his feet and grabbed Damien’s face, his hands on either side of his cheeks as he gazed into the irises to study them. Zim had red eyes…

Damien felt his heart skip a beat, his hands reaching to touch Dib’s hands, feeling how hot his skin felt in his palms. Their eyes met for quite some time, amber for crimson, the two of them staring at each other for a number of moments before Damien forced himself to pull away. His face was flushed by now and he had to distance himself, lest he reach up and kiss the man right then and there. The dirty thoughts came back into his mind and he swallowed thickly, shifting in his seat.

“I think--it’s time for lunch.” Damien had to clear his throat in the midst of saying it, pushing himself from the table and getting onto his feet. “I have to go to the store.”

“Let me go with you.” Dib said instantly, keeping himself right next to Damien, “We can take my car and I can drive you.” He pulled out his keys from his pocket, almost staring at Damien as if to challenge him. “Or do you, have your own vehicle?” He asked, tilting his head, “Perhaps a magenta and purple one, with a black symbol in the center?”

Damien didn’t know what was going on but he enjoyed it, Dib sounded so amusing right now. “Oh my car’s… somewhere.” He laughed nervously, knowing that he had to go get it himself from New Haven from his cousin.

The nervous explanation made Dib nod slowly, “Uh-huh… sure.” He said sarcastically, watching Damien pull off the goggles but keep on the lab coat, grabbing his wallet and keys.

The two of them left the apartment in an awkward silence, and Dib felt tense once he got behind the wheel. This might be a great time to grill the alien on why he was here. “So…” He began, trying to play it casual. “Why did you move all the way to Bycoast? What’s so _special_ about this city?”

Damien thought about the question, humming slightly and grinning, “I think you’d know that personally, Dib.”

The car jerked suddenly, Dib having accidentally shoved his foot onto the break before he let go. “Why do you say that, huh?” Dib glared at him.

He snorted in amusement, “Because you’re Agent Mothman.” Damien clarified, “You of all people know how much paranormal activity is in the city.”

He was right, Dib had to give him that much, but the answer was too perfect. Too suspicious… it was like he planned it that way. Dib let out a noncommittal noise of approval and continued to drive, taking them to a grocery store. This. Now, this would be the biggest test of them all. This would prove Dib right about Damien being Zim. Dib followed the man inside, keeping an eye on everything he looked over, everything he chosen. Rice, curry powder, spices, hot sauce...

When they stopped at the vegetable section, Dib had his eye on the meat section down the aisle. “Why aren’t you getting any meat?” Dib asked, curious.

Damien smirked, grabbing some tofu packages. “I’m a vegetarian, Dib. I don’t eat meat.”

Dib’s eye twitched, _there it was_. “You don’t eat… meat.”

“It’s not that hard to understand.” Damien continued, going for some table onions and garlic. Dib’s body felt like it was on fire, staring daggers in the back of Damien’s lab coat. He really wanted to grab the water hose and douse this motherfucker in water. He really, really wanted to expose him for the liar that he was right in the middle of the Whole Foods vegetable aisle.

Instead, he dumbly followed Damien to another section altogether, and if Dib’s body wasn’t ablaze then, it certainly was now. He watched as Damien went for a ten-pack of energy drinks and immediately hurried into the candy aisle, Dib keeping himself tethered to the other man. “Candy.”

Damien smiled, “I know, it’s bad for me, but I can’t help it.” He grabbed a handful of a few types, and mostly fun dip. Dib’s eyes lingered on the fun dip, getting flashbacks to his childhood.

“Fun dip…” Dib whispered.

“It’s my favorite.” Damien admitted, “I’m getting a shitload now because of the convention coming up. I’m going to need a lot of sugar and caffeine for three days and two nights.”

“Convention.” Dib repeated, staring down at his trolley.

“Yeah, the one I told you about. I have an extra ticket. I plan to make a killing there.” He grinned, earning him a horrified look from the scientist.

“You--you’re not killing anyone on my watch!” Dib shrieked. “I’ll stop you--stop… you.” His volume went from an eleven to a three, mouthing what he just said. It was a strange hit of nostalgia, a flashback. It was all Damien’s doing… this imposter human. This Zim in disguise… He was feeling like a kid again, and it was conflicting.

Damien had no fucking clue what was going on with Dib, but watching the outbursts and the paranoid ramblings was very entertaining for him. He enjoyed being in the presence of Agent Mothman, being able to have a conversation with the eccentric man. Damien hadn’t had this much fun in his life. “Would you like to come with me?” He asked then, wanting to prolong this good feeling.

Dib’s attention re-focused on Damien as soon as he spoke, and he thought about it. Two weeks from now he was going to Germany with his father, but he figured he could find a way out of it, besides, he had an alien to watch over. “Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Dib said in a faux-polite voice, smiling innocently at the man.

“Great, because I got lucky moving here. The convention center is just in the city.” Damien smiled in return, bouncing on his heels. “I have a vendors booth and everything.”

The excitement threw Dib, and he tilted his head. “What are you selling?”

“I’ll show you when we get back.” Damien replied in the midst of his glee, happy that he was going to ParanormaCon with the one and only Agent Mothman. His mind wandered the rest of the time, daydreaming about what they could do and what they might get away with. He even thought about the more sultry thoughts, allowing himself to imagine a night in a hotel room with Dib Membrane, getting hot and heavy and doing…

By the time Damien came back to the surface Dib had parked themselves back in the apartment complex. The engineer laughed suddenly, filled with sudden embarrassment and apprehension that he had spent at least ten minutes thinking of things he shouldn’t, shifting uncomfortably in his jeans, thankfully his erection wasn’t visible.

The two of them went back into an awkward silence, their minds in two different places at the moment, Dib with his paranoid delusions and Damien with his desperate imagination. They got everything inside Damien’s apartment in less than two trips, where Damien used his abilities to grab a lot more than was humanly possible. Dib couldn’t help but stare on as the man kept using his powers without a care in public. That was such a _Zim_ thing to do.

“I don’t think you want to stay for dinner.” Damien said once he began cooking.

“Why not?” Dib quirked a brow, watching as Damien worked. “Do you have problems eating human food in front of other humans?”

“What?” The question was met with another question, and Damien laughed, “You’re such a strange guy, but no, I’m saying that this stuff is probably going to be too spicy for you.”

It was almost offensive, and Dib clearly took offense to the fact that _Zim_ was mocking him for not being able to handle whatever concoction he had made for himself. He instead went over to eye the food Damien was making, smelling the heat rising up from the curry and snorting in amusement. He can handle something like _curry_. “You assume that I’m not able to handle it.” He says indifferently, “Which I am.”

Damien quirked a grin, feeling a challenge coming on. He chuckled and pulled out two plates. “Well this is vegetarian curry, and I should warn you I make it hotter than the recipe specifies.”

While Damien was speaking Dib was trying to think about if Zim had ever eaten spices, or enjoyed spiced food. He couldn’t handle much Earth food as it was. Beans, meat, he never seen Zim eat vegetables or rice, but things like spices… did Zim have a secret love for spices? All Irkens enjoyed snacks and candy more than anything… or is this a new thing? Had Zim somehow gotten used to some Earth food in order to fit in among the masses?

The longer Dib tried to think about it the more he became confused, and Damien quirked a brow curiously after serving Dib his dish and sitting down. He paid Dib no mind, diving into his food right away as the other man was trying to figure out the logistics of Irkens and spices. He had gotten used to Dib’s pretty eccentric nature so far today and was pretty amused by him as a whole. It was amazing that Damien had feelings for Mothman but the man in question didn’t seem to be lowering Damien’s view of him. Dib was _entertaining_ and full of the same eccentric passion that Damien had witnessed when they were children. It was almost a perfect night.

When Dib finally zoned in on what was going on he found that his meal was on his plate and Damien was already eating like a vacuum. He watched Damien with some perplexed awe before sitting down. Well, if Zim had finally acquired a taste for something human than he wasn’t going to back down from that thinly veiled challenge. He stuck his fork in the curry and took a lingering inhale. “It doesn’t smell all that hot…” He rolled his eyes, because of course Zim would exaggerate in everything he had claimed. Dib took a forkfull into his mouth and chewed, swallowing. “Hey, that’s not bad!” He chirped.

Until the spices kicked in, and Dib regret ever falling for Zim’s ruse. He began to sweat from the heat, opening and closing his mouth and grabbing for the drink at his side, but strawberry-lime soda didn’t really take it down a notch--what the fuck was Zim thinking? “Milk--” He yelped.

Damien stopped eating to take a single look at Dib, slowly grinning from ear to ear from amusement, “Didn’t I tell you?” He got to his feet to go to the fridge, taking out a carton of milk and giving it to Dib. “You were so sure that I was bluffing, weren’t you?” He chuckled, watching Dib open the carton to chug from the opening. He set his chin in his hands, watching Dib suffer from his poor life choices. “Poor, poor little white boy.” Damien teased.

“I’m Mexican!” Dib cried out, glaring at him. “I can fucking handle spices you asshole, you’re the one that eats lava!”

Damien snorted in amusement, “You’re going to call me an asshole when you were _so sure of yourself_ earlier, coño.” He stuck out his tongue, where Dib noticed was a human-looking tongue. The bespectacled man in question gaped at that, realizing that Zim’s disguise was more detailed now than it was all those years ago, if his tongue was an indicator. He quickly got over the fact that he tasted actual fire and went quiet, staring at Damien and waiting for an obvious tell that Dib would be able to call him out for.

Dib was going to have to wait a while, because by the time Damien was done eating he finally stood up, stretching, “Well, this day had been lovely. I’m going to have to part ways with you, as much as I hate to do that.” He smiled, “I was up all night so I'm going to get some rest. We can do this again tomorrow.”

Dib narrowed his eyes, it wasn't even the evening yet. “Oh, going to _sleep_ are you?” Irkens didn’t even sleep, what was he thinking of doing? Was he going to sneak outside and perform experiments on innocent humans? Not on his watch!

Dib suddenly caught himself, realizing that his way of thinking had drastically took a nosedive from what was his norm. He was a man of science, wasn’t he? Why was he suddenly obsessing over Zim? Was it the resurgence of his old nemesis sparking his inner child and re-awakening old passions or was he slowly teetering back into insanity like his father warned him about? Dib didn’t know what to do or say right now, he was falling back into his old habits. Did Zim really have this big of an effect on him?

Damien blinked, watching as Dib was suddenly silent and having a mental crisis. He shrugged and took it to be something he normally did. Damien went about guiding him back to the door and showing him out, grinning reassuringly. “If you’re still up for it, we can still do that tour tomorrow, okay?”

Dib nodded dumbly, suddenly feeling the urgent need to go back home. “Y-yeah, okay.” He said without thinking, leaving to his own apartment. Damien watched him until Dib was inside the door, shrugging lightly and going back inside.

Inside Dib’s apartment the man stood there for a long moment, deep in thought. Damien’s assumptions were right, he _was_ having a crisis. Because for half a day he lapsed into his childlike insanity and for the entire time he had been with Damien… _Zim_ … He felt excited and happy, for the first time in over ten years he was _happy_. He normally felt nothing. No happiness, but no sadness, it was always some strange middle emotion that had him riding through his life without any cause for concern. A weird depressive episode that he assumed was a part of growing up.

He had a wonderful routine set up after all this time. He would wake up, go to work, go home, watch documentaries and sleep. His life was supposed to be predictable, it was supposed to be _normal_. Everything in his life was supposed to be scientific and sane. Then Damien Duvatt moved into his life with his fucking telekinetic powers and his horrendously fabricated backstory and how it wasn’t really this man from New Mexico, but really the alien who’s been his mortal enemy since he was eight years old just coming back to torment him and set his predictable and normal world asunder.

He hated how the main catalyst for his childhood insanity could easily make him revert to those old days when he was a young boy looking to save the world and acquire fame for his dutiful work. The days where Zim and the paranormal was his life and the air he breathed. The days where he last remembered being completely and utterly _happy_. But… those days were a lie, weren’t they? He wasn’t happy, he was ignorantly insane. He was caught up in a fantasy world where aliens existed and other fictional things thrived like ghosts and demons. He wasn’t really happy, was he?

Was his happiness a delusion brought on by his insanity?

Was he lapsing back into madness?

He was the happiest he could ever be just a couple of hours ago…

Dib was conflicted. Part of him wanted to call his father, to beg for help, to tell him the delusions were returning and that he needed to see his therapist again. But, there was a sliver of himself that wanted to keep this feeling. There was a part of him, a buried part of him that echoed from the days of his childhood that wanted to continue with the delusion, that tried to reason that Dib was happy and it wasn’t really that awful.

Was it better to be happy and delusional or in a state of emotional limbo and stuck in reality?

Was his sanity worth chasing after the alien who had the most impact in his life to date?

Was that alien worth risking everything he had worked hard to become in his father’s image?

Dib let out a tired sigh. Suddenly, he felt exhausted. His thoughts weighed on him like bags of sand and he knew he couldn’t stay up all night thinking about it. He had work in the morning, did he? Back to Membrane Labs, back to his reality.

He went to his bedroom and flicked on the light, taking one long, lingering look at his closet. His hands twitched to go there and dig _it_ out. A little voice, his own voice, begged him to _live his dream_.

Dib stopped himself before he could listen, shaking his head and moving to his own unmade bed, sitting back down. His dream was working with his father, for the good of science.

Though, as he went back to sleep, there was a nagging feeling in his gut telling him it was all a lie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I say Dib first met Zim when he was eight I'm saying that the show was two seasons long, which I equate to two years. After that Zim was gone for another two years and then the Florpus happened. That's when Dib was twelve.
> 
> I'm gonna use this math, and you can't stop me.
> 
> (But Kenny, that means Mrs. Bitters was Dib's teacher for at least four years, you say.
> 
> THAT KIND OF LOGIC HAS NO ROOM HERE)


	3. Chapter 3

Dib was too distracted, caught up in his own identity crisis he went to work without saying nary a word to his neighbor. In fact, from Sunday to Friday both Dib and Damien hardly spoken more than three words to each other. Dib had his work and his own denial coupled with the fact that he was basically _avoiding_ Damien while Damien had basically isolated himself to finish his work on all of his equipment. Within the week alone Damien have finished building the EMF meter, and had made a ghost box and a thermoscope. He had to get his equipment done before the next weekend, and by the time Saturday came around Damien knew Dib would be home for the day. After his morning run and shower Damien dressed up in casual black and red attire and went to Dib’s front door, holding an envelope in his hand and bouncing on his heels.

The door wasn’t answered until the fourth time Damien knocked, and when it opened Damien’s bouncing stalled entirely. The man looked _horrible_. He had a five-o-clock shadow and tired, bloodshot eyes as if he never got to sleep in the past week, twitchy and anxious tics that only increased at the sight of Damien.

“I was trying to sleep.” Dib sounded annoyed, of course Zim would come to haunt him on his day off. Can’t he try to take over the world without bugging him?

“Dude you look like shit.” Damien pushed his way inside without permission, much to Dib’s displeasure. The man made a weak attempt to stop him and just stared blankly as Damien made a beeline for the kitchen and started roaming the cupboards. “Have you had anything to drink?” Damien questioned, ignoring the state of emergency that the apartment looked right now, with papers all over the place and books haphazardly open everywhere.

Dib didn’t want this, not today. He had the toughest and most demonic week of his life due to his own personal trouble with the man in question. He was living off of power naps and 15 pots of coffee, unable to get to sleep because he couldn’t stop thinking. The thoughts were the same, the endless debate in his head, the tireless struggle that was his past life and his current life, his happiness and woes, his obsession and his reality. Now the catalyst for his decent into madness was in his kitchen, looking for a tea kettle.

“Do you have tea?” Damien questioned, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“I don’t have tea. I only drink coffee.” Dib said flatly.

Damien glanced over to the half-empty coffee pot and clicked his tongue in disgust, taking it and pouring out the contents into the sink. “Coffee isn’t going to solve your problems.”

Dib cried out, stumbling over to him, “Why are you tormenting me?” He hissed out.

Damien put the pot down and took Dib by the shoulders, “You look like death. This isn’t tormenting, this is me helping you. You’re obviously working yourself too hard.”

“I don’t work myself hard enough.” The man argued, “I’m completely fine, I’ve been through this before.”

The fact that this wasn’t Dib’s first rodeo made Damien slightly annoyed. He grasped the man’s arm and began dragging him. Damien had a firm grip and no matter how Dib tried to stop him, he only came off as a weak piece of pasta that eventually gave in and followed Damien back to his own apartment. Once they were inside, the engineer shoved him onto his couch and went into the kitchen, taking out everything he needed.

“What are you planning to do?” Dib asked wearily.

“It’s called chamomile tea, and you’re going to drink some.” Damien put the kettle on high and went back to the couch, pulling the afghan from the top of it and dumping it on Dib’s person. “You need sleep.”

“So you can do something strange to my head and probably scan my dreams?” Dib asked heatedly, in a sudden wave of paranoia. “Make me one of those pod people?”

“You need _a lot_ of sleep.” Damien frowned, taking a step back from the couch and back to the kitchen.

“Well it’s _impossible_.” Dib spat, “I can’t fall asleep naturally I take medication for that. I haven’t slept on my own in years.”

Just hearing that bitter admission made Damien cringe and run his hands through his hair. “You… Jesus.” He looked around, finally getting an idea and hurrying to the bathroom and into the cabinet. He pulled out a bottle and went back, pouring the tea and a nice amount of whatever was in the bottle before stirring it up and delivering the cup to Dib. “Drink the entire cup, this is my mom’s special recipe.”

Dib frowned, taking the cup in his hand and taking a small sniff, not smelling any spices but something sweet. He tentatively sipped it, the suspicion of it being tainted with something that would kill him somewhere floating in his mind before reason won out, because evil or not, Zim wouldn’t try to kill him, not without announcing it to him in his face first.

“Bottoms up.” Damien pressed, and Dib finally took the plunge and drank it. It was very, very sweet and tasted great, making him want more. He glanced over at Damien, holding out the cup to him for another. Damien shook his head, “I don’t want to kill you just yet.”

That didn’t seem to help Dib’s paranoia at all, his eyes widening in realization, “You are an alien!” He cried out, “I fucking knew it!”

Dib’s reaction caught Damien off guard, and he grinned sheepishly, “Well… that’s a long story.”

“Ha!” Dib jumped up, pointing a finger at him, “You’re not admitting it, I was fucking right all along I’m not delusional!” The longer he was up the more drowsy Dib had become, and he dropped back onto the couch. He knew this feeling, looking at Damien in shock, even though he should have expected this. “You-- _drugged me_.”

Damien didn’t deny or confirm the accusation, shrugging lightly and leaning forward to push Dib until he was lying down on the couch. “Talk about this later.” He winked playfully, those crimson eyes full of deceit and malicious intent - well, in Dib’s sleep-deprived mind. The man didn’t have a chance to fight off the drug, dozing off quickly.

Damien sighed, moving to cover Dib with the afghan and making sure he was comfortable. “It’s for your own good, Dib.” He left his side after that, going to his workshop.

* * *

_“It’s for your own good, Dib.”_

Dib woke up with a start, flinching badly and sitting up quick, his eyes wide. He was drugged by Zim, he shouldn’t be surprised that his nemesis had outright drugged him and didn’t even deny the entire thing. He looked around, looking for Damien and soon spotting him sleeping at the workstation. Dib slowly got to his feet, flinging the blanket aside and moved carefully over to the sleeping form. “I finally got you where I want you, space boy.” He mumbled to himself.

Damien was resting too soundly to even hear Dib’s words, his arms folded and his head tucked inside, his breathing rhythmic and his eyelids shut, his hair had been brought up in a messy bun and goggles were strapped to his forehead. Dib frowned at that. Why would Zim pick such a strange human disguise? Though the color scheme the man chose was such a dead giveaway, since all his life Zim wore only red and black. That was another thing about Damien that made his suspicions correct. “Can’t even pick a normal color scheme, can you?” He murmured, looking over Damien’s clothes. His eyes wandered to his exposed back, noting the lack of pack to be seen. “At least you’re able to disguise that thing.” He thought to himself, reaching out to touch it.

Only to touch air.

Dib frowned, hovering his hand around Damien’s back and still not hitting anything solid and metal. By now he should be slapping the cold surface of Zim’s pack but there was nothing there. “That’s impossible.” He said to himself, “He can’t live without his pack.” He then lowered his hand to feel Damien’s back, almost frantically, pressing both his hands on the shoulder-blades and roaming around, actively disturbing the man underneath him.

“No, no, this isn’t right.” Dib’s voice became unsteady and louder. “You’re supposed to be wearing a pack. Where the fuck is your pack?” He was starting to panic.

Damien shifted from the other’s touch, finding consciousness and hearing the tail end of what Dib was asking. “What pack?” He asked sleepily.

“You’re supposed to be wearing a pack right here!” He slapped Damien’s back in the precise spot, making the man wince.

“Hey--easy there! I have no idea what you’re talking about man. What’s happening? Did you have a good sleep?” He checked his watch, “It’s been three hours.”

“Aside from the fact that you fucking drugged me--” Dib began, glaring at him, “You’re supposed to be attached to your life support, but you’re not!”

  
  
“Life support?” Damien quirked a brow, finally turning towards him, “The fuck are you talking about?”

Dib paused quickly, staring at Damien as his entire belief that this man was Zim began to crumble. Was he just… imagining this entire thing? “You’re Zim, aren’t you?” He asked, pleading to whoever was above that he hadn’t just been insane for an entire week.

Damien looked confused, “I don’t know who Zim is, but I can assure you, my name’s Damien.”

It sounded like shattering glass, and Dib felt his entire world crumble at his feet. Suddenly he felt ashamed and embarrassed, for an entire week he assumed this one random man was an alien that left him all those years ago. He had carried that belief into his personal life and had driven himself crazy for the sake of this belief. He visibly wilted, looking even more depressed than he was a week ago. “You...you’re Damien.” The same Damien Duvatt that was entirely perfect in every way, with the most fantastic life that Dib had been at first jealous over. The same Damien Duvatt that was a valued member of the Swollen Eyeballs but was still popular, with charm and charisma up to his ears… He wasn’t fake. He wasn’t Zim.

Dib went back to the couch and buried his head in his hands, looking about ready to scream. He had been tearing himself up over a delusion.

Though…

_“You are an alien! I fucking knew it!”_

_“Well… that’s a long story.”_

Dib’s head shot up and went back to Damien’s person, watching him intently. “You never denied that you were an alien.” He pointed out. Part of him wondered if this was just a desperate attempt at keeping his delusions but he didn’t really care anymore. “What are you?”

Damien sat there, quiet for a moment and he leaned forward on the chair he was straddling, and suddenly he was slowly tilting himself forward but not falling onto the floor, defying gravity as he used his own telekinesis to keep himself leaning forward before tilting himself back upright. “Well, it has to do with my abilities.” Damien smiled. “You see, I’m only part human.”

Dib blinked, quiet. In his head, however, he was screaming. _Alien, alien, alien, alien_. The alert was going off in his head but he was unable to do anything about it, as if he was frozen to the spot. “Y--you’re an alien.” He stuttered.

“It’s a long story, but the short part is that my grandmother boned an alien. Mom taught me how to hone my abilities.” He pointed to his eyes, “Then there’s these.”

The world was spinning, or at least that’s what Dib thought. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Damien, stumped in his sudden revelation and warring with his inner disbelief. A strong part of him thought this might be a lie, but the weaker part, the part that was already privy to his telekinesis, knew that it wasn’t a lie at all. Damien was an alien. Damien had alien blood.

“I need a moment.” Dib said then, turning away finally and holding his head. He needed to think about this, or did he? For a week he had been assuming that Damien was an actual alien, and now he knows that Damien was one. It may have been a different sort of alien, but it was still the same. Dib took a deep breath and looked back at him, “What...kind of alien are you?” He asked, needing to know.

Damien shrugged lightly, “Something called a Meekrob? I don’t remember.”

The word hammered into Dib’s subconscious and he physically jumped in his seat, his eyes widening before he forced himself to look away, “Meekrob… that’s a real alien species…” He whispered to himself, feeling anxious and jumpy now. “He’s not full of shit…”

He was talking to a real Meekrob, not the illusion that Zim had unleashed onto him. He had no idea what to think about this revelation, what was he supposed to say? He was still battling with himself, the part of him that wanted him to leave and call his dad while the last sliver of his childhood euphoria wanted to stay here and ask Damien questions among questions among questions.

Damien had a feeling Dib needed time to process this, especially if he had been thinking that he was someone named Zim. He kept quiet, being patient to the other’s thoughts. He leaned against the chair, feeling the envelope in his back pocket and taking it out, opening it to reveal a single ticket and a VIP pass to ParanormaCon. He hoped that Dib would accept this gift, mostly because he wanted to come into contact with the real Dib Membrane, the real Mothman. The person he knew twelve years ago and adulated ever since. Damien sighed, it was almost like being presented with the only person he wanted to meet in his life and realizing that they were so far away. Dib wasn’t the Mothman he knew, he was a shadow of his former self, a person that was still trying to break through that shell and whatever life that Dib had made for himself. Yes, the entire week Dib assumed he was someone else, but that one Saturday was almost like meeting the real Mothman, albeit the eccentric and paranoid part of him. It took him back to his childhood.

The more he watched Dib the more he went back to Dib’s reaction when he realized Damien wasn’t Zim. Who was Zim? Was he the alien friend that Dib was freaking out about back before he quit the network? It sounded plausible, that Dib would act that way due to the fact that he assumed Damien was the alien friend he had lost all those years ago. He suddenly felt so sad for Dib, because he looked so _helpless_ once he realized that Damien wasn’t the alien he was looking for, but a different alien entirely.

Dib was rocking in his seat slightly, thinking over his options. He could go to his apartment, call his father. Ask for that therapist, perhaps go back on those medications. He could stay here, he could accept that he was back in the presence of an alien, he could recapture his adolescence. But, Damien wasn’t someone trying to take over the Earth, was he? He seemed to be the complete opposite of Zim, despite the horrible similarities that Dib had picked up out of nowhere. But… he was an alien. He was the paranormal. He was here and he liked Dib, ever since they were children.

Dib paused, shutting his eyes. Damien _liked_ Dib, but not who he was now. Damien was more interested in Mothman, the person he left behind so long ago. Dib wasn’t Mothman anymore, Dib wasn’t anything anymore. Dib was his father’s apprentice, he was in line for the Membrane Empire. He was… a man of science.

His head was becoming heavy with all of these thoughts and he hated it. Dib needed to talk to someone, and it couldn’t be Damien or his father. He wracked his brain until he realized the one person who wasn’t biased about his life, the only person he could trust to help him. The only person that he respected enough to know what he should do.

Dib stood up suddenly, quickly, not looking back at Damien. “I--need to leave for a bit.” He said in a rush, heading to the door and leaving without another word.

Damien watched on, placing the envelope onto his workstation.

“What happened to you, Dib?” He mumbled to himself.

As soon as Dib was inside his own apartment he made a beeline to his phone, checking it once and finding a missed call from his father. He ignored it swiftly and brought up his contacts, sighing. “I hope she’s not busy I hope she’s not busy.”

The phone rang about four times until it was picked up, _“What do you fucking want I’m in the middle of a stream!”_ The woman hissed out in an angry tone.

Dib winced, “Gaz, I’m sorry, really sorry, but it’s an emergency.” He grimaced, wishing he had checked the Twitch app beforehand.

His sister sighed, mumbling something unintelligible before putting the phone back up. _“What’s so wrong that you can’t go to dad about it?”_

“It’s… I can’t talk to dad about this. He’s completely biased. You’re the only one who knows me and won’t judge.”

_“Are you finally coming to your senses?”_

Dib blinked, pausing for a moment. “W-what do you mean by that?”

_“I mean is dad’s influence starting to wear off on you. I wasn’t really going to say anything but you looked so fucking depressed after Zim left, I didn’t want to ruin anything between you and dad.”_

“G-Gaz?” Dib was starting to breathe anxiously, and his sister groaned from the other end.

_“Fucking calm down! I never fucking liked what you become, you know that? You’ve never been happy. You just went with whatever dad wanted because you were trying to run away from your fucking life. If you weren’t annoying before Zim left then you’ve became fucking horrible.”_

The harsh words from his sister was starting to make him tear up, all the stress that culminated from his current life was starting to get to him… _again_. “W-why didn’t you say anything?” He asked brokenly.

_“Do you really think you would have listened to me?”_ She asked, _“You were too busy avoiding reality that you never once thought about why following in dad’s footsteps would be a terrible decision. You really don’t know how to deal with heartbreak, you know that?”_

“Heartbreak?” He squeaked.

_“Zim disappeared and it broke your heart. You became super fucking depressed and started looking for just about anything to fill the void. Unfortunately it was dad and his real science diatribe and after that you threw yourself into the deepest fucking denial I have ever seen. Please lie to me and say you’re happy working with dad, come on, try me.”_

He couldn’t try to fight her no matter what he felt, because all of this was slowly tearing him apart. His life, his dreams, the neighbor across the hall that was making him feel like he was ten again. She wasn’t wrong, Dib was never happy. Even after going to his father’s recommended therapist he wasn’t ever as happy as he used to be. Hell, he would have a break down every three months and spend at least a week holed up in his room and--

Dib tried to breathe, “Gaz… I… met someone.” He said in a strangled voice.

_“Is this why you called me, because you found a boyfriend?”_

“No-no-no- I mean-- He’s-- he’sascientistandhecomesfromasciencefamilybutheisalsoobsessedwiththeparanormalandhewaspopularandfunnyandhandsomeandIthoughthewasZimindisguisebuthe’snotbuthe’sactuallyaREALalien--”

_“Dib, DIB. Slow down, breathe, repeat that again, slowly.”_

Dib wilted, “His name is Damien… he… he’s like me… but… he’s entirely different. His parents respected him and he was popular, he’s like… unreal. But he was so unreal that I thought he was Zim in disguise for at least the past week, but he’s not really Zim, but another alien… and apparently he knew me when I was Agent Mothman...”

There was silence on the other end of the line and Dib began to panic. Was she judging him? Was she trying not to laugh?

“Gaz?” His voice became broken. “Gaz please respond--”

_“Dib?”_ Her voice wasn’t harsh anymore, but more calm now, with a hint of amusement. _“Have you ever thought that this might be a fucking sign?”_

“A sign.” He repeated blandly.

_“Do I need to fly over there and hit you over the head with this mystery man you’ve discovered? He’s here for a reason. Is he someone who works with you?”_

Dib went quiet. “He’s my… neighbor.”

_“How did you find out he was an alien?”_

“He showed me… he has Telekinesis, he told me his grandfather was an alien.”

_“And he already knows you.”_

“I didn’t even notice at the time. He was part of the Junior Swollen Eyeballs. He goes by Agent Runestone, said he was my biggest admirer.”

_“Dib, what more do you need? This is basically the universe telling you that you’re not happy where you are. This is life telling you to be happy again. Hell, this is motherfuckin’ God himself sending you something you need.”_

Dib paled, “W-wh-what do you mean by that?” He went back to his room, sitting down at his unmade bed. His eyes trailed over to his closet again, feeling his skin itch.

_“You’re not happy unless you’re immersed in the paranormal, Dib. Dad and his real science isn’t for you, just accept the sign and roll with it. Get back to something that makes you feel alive. Honestly, you look so fucking horrible these past few months, do you even sleep anymore?”_

Dib glanced at the bottle of sleeping pills on his nightstand. “Ambien.”

_“Ditch your job and follow the fucking alien. Hell, fuck him a few times and get it into your system.”_ Gaz paused for a moment, _“What does he look like?”_

Dib sputtered when Gaz suggested he should have sex with Damien, almost dropping the phone, “GAZ!”

_“Give me something to picture, Dib. I work better with visuals.”_

Dib’s eye twitched, his finger tapping the phone and going into his photo gallery. He had already got some covert photos of him during that shopping trip on Saturday. He swallowed thickly as he sent the photo, putting the phone back to his ear.

It was silent for a moment longer until Dib heard a long whistle. _“Get him in bed, now.”_

Dib choked, “GAZ!”

_“I know you swing that way, Dib. If Zim was still here you’d probably be living with him right now. Do yourself a favor. Maybe it will knock your brain back in place.”_

Dib’s heart was racing, knowing he had wandering thoughts about Damien but how did his sister know this without even living in the same state as him? He pulled on the collar of his shirt, looking back towards the closet. “What… do I do? What if I get it wrong? What if I follow this man but I regret doing it later and I have to crawl back to dad begging for forgiveness?”

Gaz sighed, _“You used to dive into things without thinking about the consequences, maybe you should stop thinking about it and just do it. Don’t waste this, Dib. If you do then I’m going to come up there and fucking kick your ass with steel-toed boots.”_

The phone went dead after that and Dib let out a breath he was holding, falling back onto his mattress and staring listlessly at the ceiling. Why was his sister so goddamned observant? She read him easily and they didn’t even live under the same roof anymore. She knew he was struggling. She had known ever since Zim left. She was right, however, he wouldn’t have listened to her if she tried to say anything. He was so delusional…

He had an alien living across the hall. An alien that knew him and enjoyed his company. An alien that was… _attractive_ … someone who was obsessed with the paranormal to the point of…

Wasn’t he going to a convention?

Dib let out a shaky breath and sat up again, casting another longing glance at his closet before shaking his head and standing up. He put his phone down and went back to the door, steeling himself and opening it so he could approach Damien’s apartment.

The door opened after the first knock and Damien lingered at the door, looking at Dib and studying his features. “You look wrecked.” He said instantly.

“I’m...figuring things out.” Dib said tiredly, stepping further inside. Damien nodded and shut the door.

“Was it something I said?”

Dib turned to him and tried to smile, “It’s nothing you said, it’s just… I have… things have been hard for me for a number of years. I just… I’m having an epiphany of sorts.”

Damien nodded, moving back to his workstation. On it was a nearly finished ghost music box. Dib caught sight of the contraption and followed him, recognizing the equipment. “That’s a music box.” He perked up, fully invested. “You made that yourself?”

“Pretty much. I told you before, I’m an engineer.” Damien grinned widely, pulling open the drawers of the desk next to him. “Take a look.”

The technology was wrapped in bubble wrap to protect them and Dib was curious, pulling out one of the projects and unwrapping it. “...an EMF meter.” He looked impressed, “This looks just like a store bought product.”

“The store-bought products don’t work as good as my creations. I also have different products.”

Dib put the meter aside and began to take them out, unwrapping them like they were precious objects. “A ghost box.” He then went to another, “an EVP recorder,” another, “a parascope,” another, “vibration sensor,” and another, “a thermoscope!” He looked completely shocked and awe struck at the impressive electronics that were on display before him, “You--you made these yourself, but for what?”

Damien chuckled, “ParanormaCon. I told you before, I have a vendor booth, right smack dab in the middle of the convention hall.” Damien pulled out the envelope containing the spare ticket and VIP pass. “I have yours.” He waved the envelope tauntingly in Dib’s face, “A lot of Swollen Eyeballs will be there and some well known experts. I’m running a panel with a few others.”

Dib swallowed, his mouth was suddenly dry, “You’re running a panel?” He quickly grabbed the envelope before Damien could take it away, opening it up and staring in shock at the VIP pass.

Damien leaned back in his seat, continuing to lean back until he was just hovering off the floor. He folded his arms behind his head and smiled. “I know it’s been a long time since you’ve probably faced the Swollen Eyeballs again but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind--”

“I’ll go.” Dib blurted out quickly.

This time Damien did collapse to the floor, his abilities faltering at the sudden words. “Y-you’re going?” Damien scrambled to his feet, looking like an excited puppy who was getting to be adopted. “Oh man this is something--I can’t--” He caught himself quickly, “Are you sure about this, I mean you’re not in the field anymore…”

Dib smiled at him, a genuine smile. “I… think… Agent Mothman is coming out of retirement. This seems like a good place to do it.”

Damien couldn’t believe what he was hearing, only able to make a happy squeaking noise as he watched Dib in his own state of shock. His smile grew wide and the man couldn’t help himself, grasping Dib and hugging him tight, jumping in place in his own excitement. Dib didn’t know how to react to the sudden burst of affection, going rigid in Damien’s grasp but allowing it to happen, laughing nervously.

When Dib finally made it back to his apartment he put the tickets on the couch, going back to his room and going for his phone. He pressed the missed call from his father and auto-dialed the number, putting the phone to his ear.

“Hi dad? Oh, no, no, I think--I’m having a nervous breakdown again and I can’t go with you to Germany this month. … oh, no, I don’t need to see Doctor Klinger, I can get through it on my own. … a week leave? That sounds good, I hope to be better by then. … Thanks dad, have a good trip.”

When he hung up he realized that he felt giddy instead of guilty, almost bouncing on his heels. Gaz told him to not mess it up, did she? He was determined not to let that happen. He had another chance, and this time he was going to make sure it never left his side.

Dib took another look at the closet, going over to it and grabbing a worn box from the top, pulling it down and taking it to his bed. He opened the box up carefully, pulling out something that held a familiar scent. It still felt the same, and as he unfolded it the black leather unraveled and snapped to the floor. Dib’s heart was racing as he pulled the trench-coat over his clothes, noting that it still felt comfortable to wear.

He made his way to a long mirror and looked into it, hearing his sister groan about the coat back in his memories.

_“Aw Dib, not the coat.”_

Dib broke into a grin. “It makes me look mysterious.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> strap in

The convention was held inside a large convention hall next to a larger hotel. It was nearly packed even though it was just the first few hours. They took Dib’s car, and with as much equipment as Damien was supposed to bring, the engineer was happy about having an extra hand. He had two large boxes full of his machines plus a duffel bag that contained his clothes for the next three days. Dib only had his own rolling suitcase full of clothes that he was going to need. What he didn’t know was that while he had his own ticket and VIP pass, Damien only paid for one hotel room. He realized that once they stepped into the room that they were sharing, spotting out the single king sized bed and blinking owlishly, looking over at Damien.

“Is there something you failed to tell me?” He asked with a higher voice than usual. He was feeling so jumpy lately, full of anticipation and energy that continued to build ever since his talk with Gaz. The large single bed in his view was giving him flashbacks to his sister telling him that this was a sign. Was the bed also a sign?

Damien scanned the room. “I...asked for a double.” He said eventually, frowning. “Uh...I could go down and talk to the dude at the front desk if it really bothers you, but I doubt we’re going to get anything else.”

Dib took a deep breath and tried to even out his voice, “It’s okay--” He grimaced when his voice wavered, sounding like a prepubescent teenager again. He cleared his voice and tried again, “It’s okay--” He said almost calmer now, “It’s a pretty big bed, I doubt anything could happen.”

The words made Damien snort in amusement, “Unless you want my dick in your ass.”

It was clearly made to be a joke. The tone of Damien’s voice had it as a joke, but once he said it Dib dropped his suitcase and the other side of the equipment box he was holding. Damien cried out when it happened, using his telekinesis to keep the end of the box from colliding onto the floor. “Don’t break the merchandise!” He managed to lower it calmly to the floor and breathing out a sigh. “What was that about?”

Dib winced, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry I’m sorry! I’m just--very excited!” He said quickly, pointing towards the door, “I really want to go out and just, see what’s going on, you know?”

Damien eased in a laugh, seeing how jumpy Dib was and mistaking it for excitement. Of course Dib would be excited, he thought, this was his comeback into the paranormal wasn’t it? Dib actually looked the part, with his black trench coat and blue shirt with an alien on it. He looked nice with the trench coat, and the more Damien stared the more he realized that he was staring a little too much, finally looking away and clearing his throat. “Well, um, go on ahead, but keep your phone on. I need to get changed and sort everything out.”

Dib looked all too happy to escape this, but he hesitated before darting out. “Do you need help for the vending booth?”

“No, not really.” Damien smiled, “I have someone for that.”

“You...already have someone?” Dib questioned hesitantly, “Who is it?” He suddenly felt the need to know who this person was and their relationship with Damien, throwing out the initial plan to flee into the convention hall.

“Yeah, Agent Bluerose. She helps me every year so I can run around freely talking to the other members.” He grinned at the other, “Now if you want to stay and watch me strip, feel free to pull up a chair.” He wiggled his ass to accentuate his point, making Dib sputter and stumble over to the door.

“I’ll be outside!” He cried out, shoving himself out the door quickly and shutting it. He breathed out a sigh, leaning against the door and groaning quietly. This was going to be a long weekend. Dib stood there for a while, listening to Damien whistle from the other side of the door and hearing movement. He wondered why the other man was changing in the first place. He came here pretty dressed already, hair bun and all. The slides were still on his feet.

Before Dib could think of anything Damien would be wearing, or imagining the man naked, the door opened and he nearly fell back, yelping a little before strong hands pushed him back upright. Dib turned around to get a look at Damien, freezing. He looked...presentable, and he could hear Gaz in his head screaming at him to sleep with the man. His muscles were nearly visible under the tight red shirt, a loose cropped black jacket over it. His pants weren’t the pajama pants he came in but unbelievably tight black pants, which he had to hold himself back from feeling, they looked like leather but he couldn’t be sure. They probably weren’t if he was a vegetarian. Boots replaced his slides and hanging from his hips were a chain and the VIP pass that dangled from a belt loop. Though the most noticeable thing was his hair, which was neatly braided and slung over his shoulder. He inwardly groaned, because _of course_ he would manage to look even more handsome than he already was.

Why was his sister so observant to everything?

“Single and ready to mingle.” Damien grinned, “This con is very well known for their after parties.” He winked playfully, “Now if you’re not leaving then help me with the stuff, Agent Bluerose is probably down there right now.”

Dib nodded, feeling his throat go dry and how it was becoming hard to swallow. “S-sure.” He followed Damien back inside and helped him with the giant container full of paranormal equipment, unable to stop staring at his ass as he followed Damien out of the hotel and into the convention hall. He needed to know who this Agent Bluerose was, and how they knew each other. He also needed to get far, far away from Damien as possible at the moment, because he was doing his best to will down an erection and thinking of science wouldn’t last long. Damien stopped them as soon as they reached the vendor room, showing the man at the door his pass, “Dude’s with me.” He said to the man, regarding Dib. Dib swallowed thickly and nodded.

“Right.” The man said then, letting them through. Dib made sure not to trip over himself, catching the other vendors setting up. His eyes lingered on the other tables, some with comics, some with figurines, others with toys. There was something for everyone. By the time they got to Damien’s booth Dib could see a busty blonde woman in pigtails with red highlights in her hair, heading over to Damien at the sight of him. Damien grinned, allowing the woman to hug him and kiss his cheek. Dib bit back some words, trying not to stare.

“How was the move, sweetie?” The woman asked, brushing some hair out of Damien’s eyes.

“Perfect.” The man replied, “Made a friend on the first day. You remember Mothman, do you?”

The woman shook her head, “I remember you talking about him a lot.” Her blue eyes trailed over to Dib’s, smiling. “Is that him?” She asked.

Damien grinned, “He’s coming out of retirement.”

Dib shied his eyes away, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly nervous and jumpy. This was it wasn’t it? This was his step back into the world he turned away from those years ago. He took a deep breath and steadied himself, thinking back to his sister. Jump in head first without a thought. “I’m pretty well known in the community.” He said finally, speaking for the first time since they had gotten there. “I’m the only one who had hard evidence of an alien. Still do, actually. It’s all in storage.”

Agent Bluerose blinked owlishly and nodded, smiling wide. “I remember now, Agent Runestone told me all about it. You actually lived with an alien?”

Dib cleared his throat, “Actually, I spent a good chunk of my childhood trying to keep an Irken Invader from destroying the Earth. I pretty much kept the world safe.”

She looked amazed, and by the looks of it, the girl was younger than him and Damien, which explained why she never heard of him. Damien chuckled and had Dib help him set the box onto the table. “Agent Mothman’s actually my neighbor, isn’t that wild?”

“No way!” The girl gasped, “That’s so crazy! Didn’t you say you had this serious crush on--”

Damien laughed abruptly, but Dib was able to catch her words, “Yeah I did, but tonight isn’t about remembering things I said about people I admire…” The engineer suddenly looked a little nervous, and Dib blinked. Damien was nervous? He couldn’t understand this at all. Hell, he was trying to process that Damien had a crush on him. On _him._ Not only admired him and looked up to him, but romantically--

Dib jumped back quickly as if his socks were on fire. “Um--I’m gonna check everything out, okay?” He said quickly, grinning widely and fleeing as fast as possible.

“Wait Dib--” Damien spoke up but it was too late, the man had left as quickly as possible. He groaned and leaned his forehead against the box. “Well, fuck.”

Agent Bluerose frowned, “He didn’t know that did he?”

“No.” Damien sighed, taking a deep breath. “Well, let’s get you started.”

* * *

Dib had been wandering aimlessly through the convention hall for at least an hour, unable to get the girl’s words out of his head. He did his best to become immersed in what he was seeing, the panels and people he crossed paths with. He managed to get back in touch with a few agents he knew of when he was a child, many of them having thought he actually died. He had a prime opportunity to get back into his old habits, run around like a child on Christmas meeting famous Paranormal Investigators and going to informative panels, having rousing talks about Bigfoot and the Jersey Devil with other conventioneers, but every time he almost lost himself the thought of Gaz, Agent Bluerose, and Damien would slam back into the forefront of his mind and remind him that he was attracted to a hot man who was also an alien who was apparently attracted to him as well. Out of everything, he had never been the subject of anyone else’s attraction. Not one bit. It was frustrating as well, because Dib actually _wanted_ to lose himself in all of this activity. He felt like Gaz had ruined it for him by opening her big mouth, and Damien had ruined it by making himself more attractive--

Dib groaned inwardly, realizing that Damien had made himself more attractive to catch someone’s attention…

_Anyone’s attention._

_“Single and ready to mingle. This con is very well known for their after parties.”_

Dib suddenly felt very, very agitated.

It wasn’t fair, in his opinion. Dib had spent nearly a month with Damien, he had spent time with Damien. While a third of that time he assumed that Damien was Zim, he still felt like he had gotten to know him. Damien had told Dib his biggest secret. He _couldn’t_ look for anyone else. Gaz was right, Damien was dropped into his lap by some unearthly force and this was his sign. Damien was _meant for_ Dib. Especially since Dib was--

Damien _liked_ Dib.

Damien _really_ liked Dib.

This was fate. It was fate. Damien was an alien, who grew up idolizing Dib. Who had a _crush_ on Dib. Who moved in _across_ from Dib. Who spent time with Dib.

Damien was his.

Dib took a long breath, suddenly not feeling as nervous and jumpy as he did before. He had to get back to the vendor area. Like hell was Dib going to step back into the world of the paranormal and not have anything to show for it. Not that he was going to expose Damien as an alien to everyone here. No, no, no, that wasn’t going to happen. The last time he tried doing that it wound up with the alien leaving unexpectedly and dropping him into the most horrible depression ever known that sent him spiraling into denial and self-hatred. No, this time he was going to do things differently. Damien was _his_ alien now. Dib wasn’t going to let this opportunity out of his sight. Dib was going to keep his alien all to himself.

The euphoria of realizing his plan made him begin to laugh, almost hysterically. He didn’t realize that the people around him were starting to stare, but when he did he finally stopped, clearing his throat and turning around to go back to the place he fled an hour ago.

His coat flowed with every step he took, walking more confidently now than he was before. The pamphlet on the weekend’s activities was wrinkled and crunched in his fist, but the last thing on his mind was browsing the convention.

By the time he got back into the vendor area he was happy that he had the VIP pass with him. He passed the doorman without problem, following the growing crowd of onlookers that were browsing the ready booths. The closer he got to Damien’s booth the more he could see the display. It looked professional, and Agent Bluerose was already working, explaining each piece to those who were interested. Dib watched on, looking for Damien but not seeing him anywhere near the booth.

He began to shuffle forward, wincing when someone griped about him cutting the line, ignoring them so he could talk to the girl. “Where did Damien go?” He asked right away. The blonde only tilted her head and pointed towards a door.

“He said he was going to mingle with the other members. They’re having a meet-up in the concert hall.”

Dib nodded, leaving without saying anything else. He took the pamphlet and opened it to the map, following it into the concert hall. There was someone at the door, keeping watch, taking notice of Dib as he approached and holding his arm out to stop him.

“Only Swollen Eyeball members beyond this point.” He said harshly.

Dib quirked a brow, “I am a Swollen Eyeball Member.”

“Name?” The man eyed him skeptically.

“Agent Mothman.”

The man picked up a list of names, scanning them. “I don’t see you.”

“I was on a very long hiatus.” Dib looked annoyed now. “Go in there, I’m with Agent Runestone. He’ll tell you.”

The man snorted, “You’re _with_ Agent Runestone, sure, and I’m Agent Darkbootie.”

Dib glared at the man, glancing around quickly before feigning excitement, pointing down the hall. “Oh my god there’s a wendigo!”

“WHERE?”

When the man looked away Dib bolted forward, bursting in through the door before the man could catch him. His entrance halted a conversation and everyone stared at him. Dib stopped suddenly, not having thought his plan through. Before he could say anything the man at the door managed to grab him.

“We have a spy.” He shouted.

“Agent Blooper let him go.”

Dib felt himself relax at Damien’s voice, watching him stand up from the group. Everyone else looked at him, curious. “That’s Agent Mothman.” Once he said Mothman everyone began murmuring, and a few others agreed for the man to let him go.

“Agent Mothman! It’s been years!”

“I thought Agent Mothman was dead!”

“So did I!”

“It really is him!”

Damien chuckled, going over to Dib and leading him back to the table, sitting the man next to him. “We were just talking about what we’ve been doing over the summer.”

“Agent Runestone was telling us about his outstanding discovery, the return of Agent Mothman.”

Dib went pink at the words, looking over at Damien. So he was talking about him?

“He sounded so excited that you returned.”

“Of course he was excited.” A woman with glasses and a white lab coat grinned, “Agent Runestone had been trying to follow Mothman’s shadow for years.”

Damien cleared his throat, looking away. “Uh, we don’t have to talk about that.” He looked almost nervous, hesitantly laughing. “I think I’ve pretty much done well for myself.”

“Done well for yourself? You’re the top ghost hunter in New Mexico.”

“You’re easily going to become the biggest name in New York now that you moved.”

Damien smiled, scratching his head. Dib noticed it right away, how he was nervous being in the spotlight so much. It was weird, because Damien radiated confidence wherever he went. Seeing him nervous was like catching a glimpse at his weaknesses.

It was strangely captivating.

“Honestly, you guys put me on this otherworldly plane. I know I’m good at what I do, but I’m not the best at it. I mean, I’m not the one who discovered aliens and saved the planet from said aliens when I was eight.”

_No, but you are an alien._ Dib thought to himself, smiling broadly when all attention went to him. “Oh I was just doing what I had to for Earth’s safety.” He said with an air of importance, just seeing Damien’s nervousness made him feel like he had some kind of power.

It was something he hadn’t had in ages, an audience that listened to him. Or...ever. He went on explaining Zim and everything about him, Irkens, what they did, their race, everything he collected. He had everyone captured. Damien only watched on in interest, grinning at how at home Dib seemed. It was a far cry from a week ago when he looked so fucking miserable and haggard and full of unneeded stress. Here he seemed… natural. He reminded Damien of the Mothman he grew up with, the same boy who had a spark in his eyes every time he began talking about his obsession.

By the time the hour went up it was time for everyone to part, but a few still lingered, some women, who wished to talk to Damien. Dib could see it clearly that their version of talking meant flirting casually with the man until he gave into one or the other. The way Damien looked, he wasn’t nervous about it, carrying on the flirting and using his natural charm to his advantage. He glared slightly at that and went over to Damien, patting his shoulder and interrupting the conversation.

“How about we go get lunch.” He said then, catching Damien’s attention.

The engineer blinked, looking over at him. “Lunch?”

“There’s a restaurant here in the hotel, common, I’m buying.” Dib smiled.

The mention of free food made Damien perk up instantly and he smiled apologetically at the three women, “Apologies, I seem to have a date to keep.”

“Aw.” They looked put out, one of them glaring at Dib. He only glanced her way, not leaving Damien’s side.

“Sorry ladies, I’ll make it up to you at the rave.” He winked, getting back up and leaving with his friend.

“What rave?” Dib questioned, taking the pamphlet and looking along the schedules.

“Midnight rave. It goes until four AM in the same concert hall. I’ve been known to be a good dancer.” Damien grinned smoothly, “I hope to get lucky tonight.”

Dib felt a cold tingle go up his spine and he nodded slowly, doing his best to keep himself from getting aroused. “Oh.” He said then.

It sounded like the perfect time to make his sister happy.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent enjoying the panels and presentations. Dib made sure not to leave Damien’s side, in fear that the man would hit it up with someone while he was out of sight and they would go somewhere private and…

He had to relax. Damien flirts with everyone. Damien flirted with him. But what made it different with him was that Damien held underlying feelings for Dib...

But...how much did Damien _like_ Dib?

Dib glanced over at Damien, who was nearly falling asleep during the lecture under his folded sheet of paper. He slowly got up and checked the time, noting that the lecture wouldn’t end until the hour was up. He slipped out as soon as he could, breaking out into a run across the convention hall. Once he made it to the vendor area he noticed that it wasn’t as busy as before, Agent Bluerose sitting at the booth with her legs crossed, filing her nails.

“Oh hey you!” She brightened upon seeing Dib, “Is Damien with you? He promised me a slice of pizza.”

“He’s not with me right now, I uh--I just--” He glanced around, “I have a question.” He said quietly.

She moved her legs off of the table and straightened up, leaning in. “Question? Well ask away sweetie.”

Dib sighed, “When you said he had a crush on me--just...what do you mean?”

Agent Bluerose’s head tilted and she smiled widely, giggling a little. “I’m not sure I’m allowed to spill the beans…” She looked around, tapping the table, “Though if you gave me my lunch, I might give you what you need.”

It was an ultimatum. Pizza for secrets. Dib groaned. He thought about it, checking his watch again. “What kind of pizza do you want?”

The blonde smiled sweetly, “I’m up for anything except pineapple and ham, there’s a room down the hall from the restaurant that’s giving out pizza slices to those who can’t afford fancy dining, buy me a couple slices and we’ll talk.”

Dib left as quickly as he could, thankful that he had long legs, racing across the convention hall to the location and buying the pizza, taking great care as to not drop anything on his way back. In his pocket was canned soda that he had to do his best not to shake. Speed walking wasn’t something he did all the time, but he learned it from working in his father’s laboratory. By the time he got back to the room someone had left with an EMF meter and Agent Bluerose was counting the money, placing it into a small metal box. Dib set the paper plates down as soon as he got to the table, taking out the soda and placing it beside the food. “Okay I got what you wanted.”

The girl’s eyes glittered at the sight of the food, feeling her stomach growling and letting out a sigh. “Thank god. Now, remind me what you want to know again?” She picked up a piece and took a bite, looking almost blissful.

Dib sighed and crouched down. “You said Damien had a crush on me for a while… I want to know how long and how intense?”

The girl chewed thoughtfully on her piece for a while. “Oh, I think he had it longer than I knew him. I met him when he was sixteen, I was a Junior Eyeball and he was getting really well known. He talked about you constantly.” She grinned, “It sounded like one of those lovestruck boyfriends who missed their bae. One time, he was professing that he dreamt about meeting you, and--”

“Wait he dreamt about me?” Dib frowned, looking almost shocked. “Holy shit.”

“Yeah but in his dreams you actually looked like a moth man. I dunno if that meant anything or not. But yeah, he has it _bad_ for you.” She took another bite, chewing slowly.

Dib almost forgot how to breathe. This was the first time in his life that someone was attracted to him. Dreaming about him, anything remotely erotic. His face became flushed and he got back up, “Thanks.” He said quickly, leaving as fast as he first came in.

Dib felt energized by the news, everything in his bones was telling him that this was meant to happen. Damien was meant to find Dib, Dib was meant to find Damien. He never really believed in fate or similar things, but this was too coincidental to be anything but. Gaz told him that this was meant to happen and he was all too aware of the signs now. This wasn't like when Dib thought that Damien was Zim, this was real. Damien was the real thing, not some lost dream that Dib was desperately trying to return to.

Breaking out of his father’s influence wouldn't have happened if he hadn't met Damien. The man sparked up familiar and compelling emotions that he thought he lost a long time ago. Damien was a catalyst for everything. He was the reason he was defying his father and returning to something he used to love. Gaz had been right, Zim’s disappearance hurled him into a state of depression that he had tried to mask by becoming immersed in his father’s world. He wasn't really a man of Science. He had been living a lie for over ten years. Damien moving in across from him was the slap in the face he needed. He held Damien responsible for everything.

There was no fucking way that Dib was going to allow Damien to slip from his grasp and become someone else's. No. Damien belonged to him. Dib was going to make sure that the man knew it.

Once he returned to the lecture hall he came to the realization that Damien had left. He stood in the doorway, watching as other attendees were scattering, most of them having left the room already while some were staying to talk to the lecturer. He blinked owlishly, taking a step away and back into the hallway. Where did Damien go? Dib had no idea, trying to think of what the other might have decided to do. He pulled out the folded up schedule from his coat pocket and read along the activities. There was a chance that he could be there but there was also a chance that he could be anywhere else. He pursed his lips, groaning and pulling out his cellphone, hoping that Damien’s wasn't on silent.

One ring, two, three, four…

_”Hello this is Damien Duvatt’s voicemail. If you’re here for business or pleasure then leave me your name and number and drop a message. I'll hit you up when I get back to you. Adiós mi amor.”_

Dib hung up the phone, groaning again and deciding to check if Damien was at the following event. Along the way he ran into another member of the Swollen Eyeballs, Agent Spookaloo, someone he recognized from the meeting. He found himself diving in a conversation with her for at least a half-hour about aliens and his past discovery. He didn’t realize he was talking for that long until another Agent approached the two of them, coming up to remind Spookaloo about another thing entirely.

Dib caught himself quickly, “Uh--have you seen Agent Runestone by any chance? I lost track of him.” He questioned the older male. The man thought about it before shrugging.

“Agent Runestone doesn’t stay at a single place for too long, he’s always moving. You shoulda been here last year when Agent Darkbootie was attending, he was completely _everywhere_.”

Agent Spookaloo laughed, “Agent Darkbootie really likes Runestone, I think it’s the telekinesis.”

Dib winced when she mentioned Damien’s telekinesis, remembering that Damien never thought to hide it from anyone. He didn’t like it at all, that Damien liked to show off. What if they discovered he was an alien, especially--

He frowned, “Where’s Agent Darkbootie now?”

“He’s rumored to be coming in tomorrow.” The man said, “He has a panel around nine and another with Agent Runestone. Though, his are never as good as Agent Runestone’s panels. The man bleeds charisma.”

“Agent Runestone always brings in a big crowd, many of the mid-level agents adore him.” The woman chuckled.

Dib nodded quietly, sighing. Of course he’d be popular within the Swollen Eyeballs, and to be respected by the most senior member of the Swollen Eyeballs as well. Agent Darkbootie was a legend within the Swollen Eyeballs, but he worried about Damien. Sure, he would freely display his telekinesis to everyone, but the Swollen Eyeballs were ruthless. If they discovered that Damien was an alien, if _Agent Darkbootie_ knew he was an alien, then Damien would be in a lot of trouble.

The last thing Dib wanted was to see Damien on the autopsy table. He shuddered at the thought.

“Well, I should go--” Dib began, stepping away and wanting to continue his search.

Agent Spookaloo smiled at him, “It’s good to have you back Agent Mothman.” She said happily, “Agent Runestone is happier now that you’ve returned.”

He paused, “W-wait really?”

The man nodded, “Oh, it was an ordeal. As soon as you left he became obsessed with finding you. He really became distraught, he didn’t like how sudden it was and was worried that something had happened. Though, the more he tried to find answers the more that Agent Darkbootie demanded him to stop searching.”

Dib slowly nodded, “You mean he was actively trying to find me?”

“I doubt he never stopped.” Agent Spookaloo said quietly. “I hardly think that him suddenly finding you is a coincidence. Agent Runestone has made sure to become a well respected member for more than the privileges that came with them.”

He couldn’t believe he was hearing this, the possibility that Damien had moved in next to him not by fate, but because Damien had been actively searching for him. He didn’t know how to react to this, but it sounded almost… flattering. Dib couldn’t think of a word for it other than that. No one would be so concerned over him like this before. Someone who wasn’t his family. Although, his father only helped him because he wanted Dib to be someone he wasn’t. Gaz was the one other person he knew that actually gave a shit about him, but not in his childhood life did she ever express it.

He didn’t realize that he was smiling, looking from one to the other and grinning slowly. “I...thank you. I need to… I need to go find him.”

“Hope to see you again this weekend.” The man grinned, “Welcome back, Mothman.”

Dib turned away and made his way down the hall, taking out his schedule and looking at his options. He didn’t know where to start, but he was determined to find Damien.

The hard part about finding Damien within a convention hall full of people was that it was harder than he had expected, and Dib found himself distracted off and on every time he went to another scheduled event. He ended up getting a book on parascience that was signed by the author and a few pamphlets and other trinkets. He had to return to the hotel room so he could deposit everything. While he was there he realized that something was off, that Damien’s clothes from earlier were draped on the bed. Dib picked up the black jacket that he wore, feeling the leather and moving it close to his nose so he could smell it. It smelled like real leather and his sweat. He made sure to glance around the room before going back to inhaling the coat again. No, this wasn’t weird at all, was it? Not as long as he was alone. He smelled like _cinnamon_.

He set the jacket down and found the red shirt underneath it, his fingers twitching to pick it up and do the same until he heard a jingle that made him jump in a nervous twitch. He grabbed the shirt and found what was making that noise, seeing Damien’s phone sit there, an alarm going off. Why would Damien leave his phone in his room? Dib looked at the time on the phone as he went to turn the alarm off, noting that it was midnight. Was he really gone from Damien for eight hours?

He picked up the phone and turned it over, taking in the demonic circle that decorated the phone’s case. He chuckled a little and set it aside, tossing his shirt back onto the bed. Midnight, really, and he left with a change of clothes and without his phone…

Dib nearly choked on his breath when he realized it, immediately darting out of the hotel room.

Midnight Rave.

* * *

The concert hall was packed, and everyone there looked dressed up for the event. There were girls with furry leggings and beaded bracelets, short shorts and fishnets. There were people with wolf tails and ears. Many of the patrons were wearing glowstick jewelry that was being sold nearby. Another booth had energy drinks, ones that sponsored the event. There was thumping techno music inside the giant hall, blacklights illuminating the walls and other illuminating decorations that immersed everyone into the music. At the side of the room was a makeshift bar, the counter lit up by their own glowing lights and a bartender decked out in glowing jewelry serving drinks. At the far front, on the stage, was a DJ, two dancers, and the monolithic equipment that provided the music.

Damien was in his own world, enjoying his time at the rave. He was dressed for the hot enclosed space, with a fishnet top that was the only thing covering his glistening body. His hair was still in a braid, moving along with him as he followed the music. Even his eyes were glowing faintly in the dark. This was something he really needed at this moment, a few hours to relax. He had been running from place to place helping others with whatever they needed. He hated that he lost Dib after the lecture, but before he could even have a chance to look for him he was accosted by junior members of the Swollen Eyeballs needing his help on something or another. Then he had to go check on Agent Bluerose, then he had three important calls that he needed to take, all of them distracting him enough to take his mind away from trying to find Dib. It was the main reason why he ditched his phone, he didn’t want to be forced to take commissions during the weekend. This was his only time to put work aside. Dib knew he was going to be at the rave. He would come to find Damien. At least, he hoped all that much.

It had been nearly difficult for him, attending the convention with Dib. The way Dib was before he vanished, Damien was brought back to his childhood and the crush he had on him seemed to come back and smack straight into his chest after meeting him again a number of years later. Meeting Dib Membrane the way he was at the start was worrying, how he seemed so broken and lifeless. He didn’t know what brought him back from that state, but when Dib finally decided to come out of retirement he was met with the Dib he knew from childhood, the boy that was full of life and passion in his interests. He wondered just who Dib talked to that brought him back to his former glory.

He was slightly disconcerted at the change. Dib was someone he idolized, and Damien was… a love-struck puppy. He was slightly afraid about Dib discovering just _how_ much Damien thought about him, or liked him. He sounded nearly creepy, and he didn’t even know if Dib was gay. Dib could be perfectly straighter than a board and here Damien was making jokes about fucking him, and the way he reacted to those jokes was enough to tell Damien that maybe he was pushing the line. Dib was a good looking virile man with a lot of personality. Damien was a man who was chasing after a shadow for the most part of his life. What would Dib do if he knew that Damien had tried to actively search for him after his disappearance? Would Dib think of him as a stalker or worse? He didn’t want to find that out.

He was brought out of his inner turmoil when someone tapped his shoulder. Damien turned around, adjusting the glowing collar on his neck and grinning widely at the sight of Agent Bluerose. She looked different tonight, wearing a skimpy top and a miniskirt with the traditional raver attire. She winked playfully at him and ran her perfectly manicured nails down his arms. “It’s time to make everyone wet.” She told him, laughing.

Damien chuckled and spun her in his arms, “This is the best part.”

* * *

By the time Dib got down there a new song was being transitioned in. There was a loud boom of cheers and he swallowed thickly, wondering what was happening. There were so many people, he couldn’t imagine looking for Damien in this mess. How was he going to find him? Dib managed to shove himself further inside. He was the only one wearing a coat in such a stuffy room full of body heat, but he tried not to think about that, searching the edges of the dance floor for anyone recognizable, mainly someone wearing red and black. There was another cheer and he finally turned to the dance floor and shuffled his way in, pushing past others and watching what was going on, stopping suddenly at the sight.

Damien dancing with Agent Bluerose, both looking alluring and seductive, almost in-synch with their moves and bold enough to get very close to each other. They were on display like they were performing for the crowd, and by the sound of it, they were making good headway in pleasing the audience. It was mainly why the music had transitioned into a latin tango to fit with their dance moves, and the longer Dib watched, the more he began to feel a sharp needle into his spine that felt like jealousy and possessiveness. He clenched his teeth slightly, his hands twitching, wanting nothing more than to strut out there, rip that girl from him and pull him away, but he was surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. The last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene and be stared at. Mainly, he was worried about Damien rejecting him in front of all these people, and the resounding laughter that would come from it. It would take him back to his days in high school, and his misconstrued crush on Torque Mackey that ended up with him being laughed at.

He hated having to stand there and watch this sickening display between his alien and a girl he didn’t even know. What made her so special that Damien would choose _her_? There was nothing attractive about her, absolutely no substance and all style. He was wasting his time with the trifecta of breasts nails and hair. But it sounded… like Damien. He was a charming man, a charismatic man who was good looking and could have anyone he wanted. Of course he would choose the blonde bimbo looking goth girl. He winced, suddenly, having nearly hurt himself in his thought process. Would Damien even want him?

Dib shook his head, sighing. No, Damien _would_ want him...and Dib wasn’t going to let him slip away so easily. He wasn’t going to lose him like he lost Zim. No, Damien was _his._ Damien came all this way to find _him._ That girl even said it herself, Damien thought about him constantly to the point of having dreams about him. Agent Spookaloo told him that Damien was looking for him for years. He had moved in across from him! There was no way Damien wouldn’t want Dib, and if he didn’t do anything now then he’d lose Damien to Tits McGee and be thrown back into that depression that he didn’t care to spiral into ever again.

He didn’t realize he was moving until he noticed the girl falter in her dance, shaking Damien’s shoulder and pointing Dib out to him. Damien went still, smiling widely at the sight of Dib. The man faltered slightly, not expecting to get such a dazzling smile, but he steeled himself and continued forward, pushing himself past the girl and reaching up to pull Damien’s head down so he could capture the other’s lips into a headstrong kiss.

Damien’s brain malfunctioned once their lips touched, going frighteningly still over the fact that Dib was kissing him. The object of his crush was initiating this and-- He shuddered in response as he felt Dib’s tongue probe past his lips. He felt himself melt instantly and finally joined in the kiss, forgetting the fact that they were being stared at just a second ago. The wolf-whistles and whoops had faded into the background drastically and Damien hooked his arms around Dib’s waist, allowing Dib to keep control of the kiss. It was… different, than what he was used to. He was normally in control, but this sudden aggressive side had him submitting easily, groaning in response before Dib finally broke free to get a breath of air.

Dib suddenly realized that it was _very, very hot_ in this room. His coat was feeling heavier than anything and he was getting hard just from the kiss alone. He needed to leave, he needed to take Damien with him, they needed to continue this in private, and he wanted to go even further than just a kiss. He wanted to do a lot of things that weren't suitable for the public eye. He grabbed Damien’s hand and led him away from the dance floor, aware of the eyes on both of them. Dib wasn't being laughed at, he was being cheered. It sent a surge of adrenaline into his body and he suddenly felt like he could do anything. Damien wasn't saying a word, and when he looked back he could see how speechless the engineer was. Dib had power right now. Dib had _control_.

He enjoyed it.

The convention hall was bare save for the few people sitting around browsing their phones, not paying Dib or Damien any mind as they made their way out of the convention hall and into the hotel. By the time they were in the elevator Dib pulled Damien back into another demanding kiss, on a power trip he never thought he’d have in his life. Damien reacted to him easily, allowing Dib to take control. He never let anyone take control in his life, but none of them were a person he had an underlying affection for years. Dib was holding all the cards right now, something the man was starting to realize.

They escaped the elevator in a tangle, the faint sounds of music coming from other rooms. On the door next to theirs was a sign that advertised for a room party, but they ignored it. Damien was trying his best to unlock the door at an inhuman speed, fumbling with the key card and nearly dropping it. His telekinesis kicked in before it fell to the floor and Dib grasped the card immediately to unlock the door. He pulled Damien inside after him, tossing the card key blindly to the floor and slipping off his coat to do the same to that before shoving Damien against the locked door and kissing him again.

Damien managed to break the kiss and groaned when Dib decided to explore the man’s neck instead. He had an overwhelming scent of cinnamon on his skin and Dib couldn’t resist taking a taste. Damien leaned his head back, “You--you’re proving to be something more than what I expected.” He managed to breathe out.

Dib pulled away, but not without grinding his hips against Damien’s. “What were you expecting?”

Damien groaned again, chuckling. “I--I don’t know anymore--” He took a hold of Dib by the arms and walked him back towards the bed, shoving whatever was on it off and pushing Dib down, straddling the other and kissing him passionately. He was in control this time but it didn’t last long, Dib’s knee moved up to rub against his crotch and Damien shuddered, feeling the friction to his cock. He broke the kiss just as fast as it came, “You’re not making this easy on me--” He whined.

“Who said I was easy?” Dib challenged, willing to keep going. Thankfully Dib had some knowledge to back up his intent, because that would have been embarrassing to be a virgin at twenty-seven. He was only used to being on the receiving end but tonight something inside of him wanted to change this. It felt right, being the one in control rather than giving it up to someone else. He had given up control most of his life, it was a constant that he was tired of. He never once had the power. Never with Zim. Never with his Dad. Never at school. Never at work. But with Damien… something drove him to start with Damien. He craved to take control back, he wanted to be the one with power. Damien was _his_ and he was going to make sure he knew that.

”No.” Dib shoved him away before Damien could go any further. Damien looked most confused, stopping at the sound of the word. His hair was already disheveled and he looked flushed, and Dib had felt his erection with his knee. ”Switch.” Dib said then, and Damien nodded quietly, moving to sit on the bed. Dib smiled cooly and began working at the man’s pants, undoing them and reaching inside to release the other’s cock. Dib stopped quickly at the sight of it. No wonder he was popular. Dib had to force himself not to falter and got down on his knees, helping Damien pull down his pants and leaning in to lick the head. The sound of Damien groaning made him continue, and Dib took a hold of the base to stroke him while he began to suck him. The taste was just the same, cinnamon. It was curious, how Damien’s precum tasted like the spice. He applied his tongue and licked along the shaft, coating Damien’s cock with his own saliva.

In turn Damien was clutching the edge of the bed, unable to look away from Dib as he worked his mouth. This was _happening_. Dib was _here_ , on his knees, sucking him off. This was real and he was here and he was taking control. Damien had planned to be the one to do this but he wasn't complaining about this change. He was still in shock. Dib _wanted_ him. Dib initiated the kiss and was going even further. This was his fantasy come true. He just hoped that this wasn't just a really vivid dream. If it was, he didn't want to wake up.

Dib was becoming drunk off of the groans and sighs that Damien was making, knowing that _he_ was the cause of it. He wanted to hear more, craving to listen to Damien beg for his own release and screaming his name. The thought of being the one to make that happen sent a shiver down his spine. He bobbed his head vigorously at the thought, still tasting the cinnamon and unable to get enough of it. Was this how Damien tasted by default? Was this because of his diet? Or was this a product of him being part alien? He was too curious about this, needing to taste him further. When Dib finally began to deep throat his partner that's when he heard Damien curse under his breath, relating the word ‘mierda’ over and over like a mantra. He never once moved his hands to the back of Dib’s head. He never tried. Dib enjoyed that, swallowing around him and finally hearing the other break.

”Fuck--Dib!” Damien cried out, his body tensing up as he finally came. Dib managed to swallow everything Damien gave him, his eyebrows raising at the strong taste of cinnamon in his mouth, as if he ate the milk from a specific cereal. He removed his mouth as Damien began to breathe out a sigh.

”Why do you taste like cinnamon?” Dib asked loudly, his voice going up an octave out of shock.

Damien pulled on a nervous smile. ”Alien.” He said simply.

Dib sighed and raised himself back up, grabbing the fishnet shirt from Damien’s frame and pulling it off of him. After that he began to remove his own clothes, finally exposing his naked form to the other. Damien seemed to space out then, transfixed on Dib’s body. Dib felt slightly nervous before quickly swallowing that feeling and pressing forward, moving to kiss Damien again. ”Do I need…?”

”Fuck, you just swallowed my cinnamon-flavored cum and _now_ you're asking about a condom?” Damien laughed slightly.

Dib chuckled and shook his head, ”Then at least give me…”

Damien fumbled for the drawer to the nightstand, pulling out a bottle of lube. ”I--”

Dib blinked. That only meant that Damien had put that there before he left the hotel room, because there was no fucking way that the hotel provided their guests with actual lube. Did he expect…? Dib took the bottle from Damien’s hand and poured some out, not really caring. He sat back, slipping into am easy position so he could finger himself, stretching out his hole and making sure that Damien had a clear view of the entire act. Damien was frozen in his spot, watching Dib work on himself as if he was a camgirl. He couldn't believe that this was happening, unable to tear his eyes away and reaching down so he could stroke himself.

Dib stopped what he was doing, ”Stop.” He demanded, watching Damien’s hand goes still. ”You don't get to touch yourself.”

Damien laughed a little, feeling a cold tingle creep up his spine. Dib sounded so commanding and in charge, he never expected this from such a smaller and lankier man. He settled himself back, too aroused to argue. ”Alright, I’ll let you lead.”

Dib watched the smug grin form on Damien’s face and grinned himself. The engineer had no idea just how much Dib was going to lead. He made sure to prepare himself enough for the erect cock that was straining before him, stopping when he was finally ready and pouring some more lube so he could coat Damien’s dick. ”I’m in control here. Remember this.” He straddled himself over Damien’s lap and positioned the man’s cock below him, easing himself onto his lap and groaning. The cock felt bigger than anyone he had before and stretched him a bit more, but the burn felt good and he settled himself down, taking a long pleased sigh.

Damien groaned when Dib settled himself onto his cock. He felt extremely tight and it was delicious. He wanted to turn them over so he could pin Dib under him. Dib could see the temptation in Damien’s crimson eyes and bucked his hips once, making the man underneath him shudder. Damien reached out to feel Dib’s hips and the man shook his head, taking Damien’s hands in his and moving to pin them over Damien’s head.

Dib then began to move, still pinning Damien down as he worked himself onto the other’s cock. He moved slowly, making sure to keep his eyes on Damien’s. He wanted to take his time and make it difficult for him. Damien was becoming lost in the pleasure, his head falling back as he groaned. The rhythmic thrusts we're enough to keep him sated, until Dib began to increase his pace. Damien sighed and rocked his hips up, something that made Dib thrust sharply down on. He shuddered from the motion, ”Dib--”

”No moving.” Dib rolled his hips onto the other, finally letting go of Damien’s hands. He was enjoying the wave of power that washed over him, being able to control everything about this night. Damien was under him, receiving his pleasure, unable to move or do anything that Dib didn't want him to. Damien was obeying everything Dib said, not wanting to ruin this moment. If Dib wanted to be in charge then he wasn't going to ruin it for him. It was hot and arousing, a dream come true. Not that he dreamt about giving Dib control, but he wasn't going to argue over this role reversal.

Dib felt the pressure building slowly inside of him. Every time he increased the speed the more he could feel Damien’s cock brush against his prostate. He groaned, riding him as hard as he could go. He was unraveling, nearly losing control. He couldn't, he needed Damien to fall apart first, he needed to feel the other quiver under him with pure need. From the looks of it, Damien was also on the same state, breathing heavily and doing his best to keep himself from taking over. He felt helpless, like Dib could do just about anything to him and get away with it. And he could, Dib had all the power.

Damien was falling apart, moaning loudly. ”Dib--” He shuddered, keeping himself from taking hold of the other’s hips. ”I’m gonna--”

Dib was far too close, shaking his head as he kept up his thrusts. ”Fuck--” He couldn't hold back anymore, bucking against Damien’s hips and arching up, climaxing with a shout. Damien felt the release hit his chest, the feel of Dib’s walls clenching triggering his own. He grunted out and held onto Dib, clutching him tight as he spasmed, releasing into Dib until he felt perfectly weak.

Dib didn't give a shit if he was laying in his own cum, collapsing against Damien’s chest and taking a deep breath. He sighed blissfully, looking up at the other’s face. ”Fuck.”

Damien chuckled breathlessly, ”You said that already.” He smiled slightly. ”I can't see myself going for anyone else after you.”

Dib smiled, settling himself. ”You’re not going to have anyone else, not while I'm here.”

”You're honestly claiming me right here and now?” Damien sounded amused.

”You searched for me, now you’re going to live with the consequences. I am very possessive.”

Damien laughed. ”I figured.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter that introduces the language kink, and that language is *Spanish!* 
> 
> Now I don't speak Spanish (I'm a bad Mexican), so everything you read from here on out was from google translate.  
> Though, as I took 6 years of Spanish, I feel that it's nearly accurate. Don't quote me on it.
> 
> Now remember kids, Dib is Mexican.
> 
> Damien is Peruvian.

The night lasted long into the morning, something that Damien didn’t expect at all. He was well sated by the time they finally decided to sleep. Dib worked him so hard that he was begging for more in his native tongue, and something told the man that he liked it. Dib had never heard the Spanish language be so enticing before in his life, especially when Damien was speaking it.

They laid in a tangled mess until it was time to wake up. When Damien’s alarm suddenly went off the engineer shot up quickly, Dib being rustled out of his sleep and almost falling off the bed as Damien got out as fast as possible.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck.” Damien was moving quick to find some fresh clothes, digging through his bag and taking out what he needed. “Fuck fuck fuck.”

“Fuck what?” Dib managed to save himself from falling off the bed, sitting up to watch him. “Can’t we sleep in?”

“Not today.” Damien took a can of spray deodorant and applied it to himself before pulling on one of his shirts, another red and black themed shirt, which seemed to be his thing. “Today is my busiest day, I have breakfast with the Swollen Eyeballs and then a panel with Agent Darkbootie, and whatever else people will want me to do today.” He pulled on a pair of boxers before pulling up yesterday’s jeans, searching for his slides next.

Dib quirked his head up at the mention of Agent Darkbootie, “You mean he’s here today?”

“He always comes in on the second day.” Damien explained, getting a brush to brush his hair out so he could braid it. “Do you want to meet him? I can get you a pass into the breakfast.” He smiled slightly, “Since you’re coming out of retirement, you seem to need one.”

Dib quickly got himself out of bed then, following Damien’s lead and fishing for his clothes. He pulled a shirt out of his bag and another pair of pants, looking for his boxers and finding them kicked under the bed. “Jesus Christ this place is a mess.” He breathed.

“Evidence of a whirlwind encounter.” Damien quipped with a smirk on his face, something Dib couldn’t help but blush at. Yesterday’s build up of dominance had dwindled away, but he wasn’t feeling any less possessive than he did hours ago.

“Just make sure to remember that.” Dib finally said, pulling on his jeans.

“Like I can forget anything like that.” Damien chuckled, finding his key card. When Dib looked at him again he could notice a growing theme. It was the one thing about him that never left Dib’s attention, the fact that Damien never wore anything but those two color combinations. Everything he had was red and black, hell, his hair was black with a red streak. His eyes were red!

By the time they were both dressed and freshened up for the morning Damien was the first to lead them out. “Now let’s not have a repeat of yesterday.” Damien told him, “If you don’t want to lose me then don’t wander off.”

Dib nodded, “I don’t plan on leaving today.” Besides the fact that he wanted to keep an eye on Damien, he didn’t want to miss the man’s panel. He idly wondered how Agent Darkbootie would react to seeing Agent Mothman having come out of retirement, and if it was anything like the other members, it would be met with approval and adulation.

“Agent Blooper!” Damien greeted the man at the door just as they neared the concert hall, Damien winking and giving him a thumbs-up. “Ready for today?”

“They’re waiting for you.” Blooper answered, giving a nod Dib’s way, “Agent Mothman.”

Dib felt a wave of confidence as he entered the room at Damien’s side, and the group of Swollen Eyeball members were sitting at the tables, a buffet full of food standing off to the side as they got their breakfasts. Half of them looked like they were nursing hangovers, mainly the younger members. Agent Bluerose was absent, still at the booth and selling Damien’s wares, the machines that he hadn’t sold just yet, and Dib had a feeling that she too had a hangover.

“There’s our star. We heard rumors.” A woman called out to him.

Everyone turned their attention to Damien and Dib, and the scientist wondered if they were referring to the night before, where Dib publicly claimed him in front of hundreds of onlookers. He felt his face warming at the realization that they were in front of that many people, yet a sense of entitlement because he sent a message to anyone and everyone watching.

Damien sat down first, watching as Dib darted to the breakfast buffet instead of joining him. He wondered if it was to avoid looking at the other members. “Rumors? Pray tell.” He quirked his head to the side, grinning.

“The rave.” Said one of the hungover agents, “Agent Bluerose was blabbing about it.”

Damien chuckled, and grinned smoothly, “I think I’d rather keep everything I know private.”

It was a short and simple statement that meant more than it did, and no one asked another question pertaining to the night before, switching their gears for the upcoming panel. Dib returned with his food and just by looking at it he could hear his stomach growling over the words of his fellow members, diving into the food without hesitation because after a night like that, he needed everything that was on that plate. He was too zoned into eating that he didn’t notice Damien getting up to get his food, the engineer having taken one look at Dib’s plate and felt the hole in his stomach.

“—that reminds me, has anyone seen Agent Darkbootie yet?” Asked an older agent.

There were murmurs all around the table and Damien causally sat back down, but before he could get a bite in the doors opened and everyone directed their attention to whoever stepped in. Dib turned his head, recognizing the older man instantly. He looked…ancient. The last time he saw Agent Darkbootie was when he was nine, and even then the man already had white hair and looked to be in his late sixties. This man was clearly in his eighties, but still moving like he was in his fifties. The man gave everyone a wave, grinning from ear to ear.

“How is everyone today?” The man asked pleasantly, zeroing in on the only man wearing red and black in the entire room. “Agent Runestone!”

Damien was in the midst of eating toast, biting a corner off and chewing before swallowing and raising his hand. “Yo.”

The older man went over to him first and foremost, bending over slightly to address him. He didn’t notice Dib’s presence, overlooking him for the brighter star in the room. “I’m interested to see what you have on your research and findings of the Chupacabra. You always come up with the evidence of their existences.”

Damien nodded, “Yeah, the panel’s going to be a doozy.” He smiled widely, “But I have another finding, a real legend.”

The older man chuckled, “Oh, what have you found?”

“I found Agent Mothman!”

Agent Darkbootie fell silent for a moment, as if calculating. He finally realized who it was sitting next to Damien and his eyes fell onto the man himself, looking the younger up and down before pulling on a tight smile. “Agent Mothman! I’m quite… pleased to see you’ve returned.” His words sounded hesitant, as if the shock of seeing Dib at the table was enough to sway him. Dib didn’t think anything much of it, because he had been away for so long and of course his appearance there was a shock to everyone. The older man didn’t say anything else, giving Dib a smile and heading to an open seat to carry on any conversations that the other members would pull him into.

Damien chuckled, moving over to nudge Dib’s shoulder, “You see, you’re being welcomed back with open arms.” He resumed eating after that.

Dib’s eyes stayed on Darkbootie, realizing that he was now the most senior member of the Network. He held a lot of presence and standing. His eyes roamed to Damien, knowing that this man too held presence and standing by his sheer talent alone. Dib needed to up his game if he planned to make a comeback. Perhaps this time he would make a bigger impact.

He already found two aliens in his lifetime, so his luck should be high.

* * *

The lecture hall was packed with people, and Dib had managed to snag a front-row seat at the panel. There weren’t anyone at the table yet, but everyone was waiting with bated breath for the well-known Paranormal Investigator Damien Duvatt to tell his tale. The lecture was about Damien’s recent findings on the Chupacabra during his most recent trip to Mexico.

Before the table was a disc reader to display on the white screen behind the table, and a second chair.

When Damien finally stepped out from behind the screen there was a great deal of noise, and the man, usually nervous of attention, soaked it in like a fine wine. Dib could instantly see the change in his demeanor as opposed to yesterday. He was the prime definition of charismatic, and just his smile caused reactions to the rest of the crowd. Dib only smirked and crossed his legs, watching.

Damien tapped the small mic clipped to his shirt, “Working, working,” He could hear his voice being amplified, “Yes, great. Now it’s not a full on paranormal panel without my special guest here, Welcome Dr. Mark Davidson,” Damien looked back as Agent Darkbootie came out from the other end, waving and giving a kind smile as he made his way into the room. Dib’s eyebrow raised at the man’s real name, realizing that this was the first time he’s ever found out Agent Darkbootie’s true identity.

“If you’re new to the panel, well my name is Damien Duvatt, and I was once the top Paranormal Investigator in the state of New Mexico, for what you don’t know, is that I’ve recently re-located to New York and I plan on finding other new and exciting creatures, ghosts, what-have-you.” Damien continued to pace around the table, not yet sitting there. “What we’re here for today, however, was a find that I’ve managed to get when I was on a leisure trip to Mexico. Everyone’s heard of the legend, yes? _La Chupacabra_ , known as the goat-sucker. You woulda think that the legend stayed in Puerto Rico where it originated but there’s been sightings all over Latin America and beyond, and today will be your first day seeing the real thing captured on video.”

There were gasps and mumbles all around the room and Damien only grinned wide, “Yes, well, let’s start, shall we?”

Damien had finally returned to his seat at the table, and he pulled out a remote. When he let out a whistle the lights had dimmed and he used the remote to turn on a recording.

_“Oh shit, oh shit.”_ Came the voice from the video, and Dib could see a shaky video camera that was held by Damien as he traversed a farmland. _“¿Se enteró que? Escuchaste ese sonido?”_

_“¡Te lo dije, mis animales están siendo sacrificados!”_

_“Está en algún lugar aquí.”_

Damien wasn’t alone, there was a farmer with him, and the longer Dib listened the more he realized that Damien speaking Spanish was effecting him more than it should. He shifted in his seat and groaned inwardly. Now wasn’t the time for this sort of reaction.

The video went from the fields into a barn, where there was a screech of noise. Everyone went silent at the sight, as Damien and his friend had went silent to sneak up onto the creature. Damien’s camera became less shaky as he shifted, the night vision exposing everything. They came up to a dead calf, and the farmer let out a hushed curse before Damien shushed him.

_“Quédate aquí.”_ Damien whispered quietly, leaving the farmer’s side to make his way further into the barn.

There was another screech and the crowd gasped, some unable to look away from the video. Damien’s breathing could be heard, slow and steady as if he was forcing it to not be erratic, and he stepped further into the darkness, upon an old truck. There was a low hissing sound and Damien’s breath fell short, the camera slowly moving around the vehicle and coming to a corner, where there was a creature.

The crowd’s voices seemed to heighten at the sight of the creature itself. It was just as the legends said it was: a reptile-like creature, with nearly scaly skin and sharp spines running down its back. About three or four feet long and standing on its haunches. The Chupacabra hissed at him, standing in a threatening way, ready to attack.

_“Ay Dios mío. La Chupacabra.”_ Damien’s voice came out low, and a small laugh escaped him. _“Oh fuck it’s the real thing, hey buddy!”_ When he greeted it the creature let out a screech, and Damien cried out as soon as it lunged at him. The video twisted and turned and soon it went to static. The crowd was stunned, and the lights had come back on. Damien sat there smiling, his chin in his hand as he saw a few people raise their hands.

Dib stared on, wide-eyed and amazed at the sight. Damien had seen it himself, and had gotten videographic evidence that wasn’t blurry or too distorted. This was a genuine find! He nearly tuned out the other voices as they asked their questions, to the likes of “how did you get away” or “were you injured”, to which he answered with a laugh and a witty remark about twisting his ankle during the escape. The questions continued, and some were towards Agent Darkbootie as to the legitimacy of the video, to which the man only confirmed that it was truly the real Chupacabra and not fake in the slightest, taking his own questions before Damien was asked some more. It was a whirlwind of an hour and by the time it was over people began to file out of the room. Dib didn’t move, watching Damien talking to Agent Darkbootie about something or another, like they were old friends - in which they were.

Dib finally rose to his feet and went over to the table, grinning. “What are we doing next?”

The engineer thought about it before standing, “Well first, we’re going to check up on Tina before I have to attend to any other people needing my help for today.” He smiled at Dib, “This is basically what I do during conventions.” He picked up an energy drink and took a few gulps, “I’m pretty much everywhere.”

Agent Darkbootie chuckled and stood up, “I should leave you to it, then, Damien. I have my own places I need to be today.”

Dib looked his way, “You’re leaving already?”

“I don’t stay for the convention.” The older man explained, “I come for the panels and make my leave, there’s too much to do for me to take a whole day’s rest.” He began to step away then, “Being a Senior Agent makes me highly occupied.”

Damien chuckled and watched as the older man made his way out of the room, “He’s so nice.”

Dib watched as well, thinking about it. “He went out of his way to join you in a panel, he must be.”

“He’s done it before.” Damien told him, rounding the table to take the disc reader, “He always goes out of his way for his favorite agents.”

Dib wondered if he stayed in the Swollen Eyeballs and had never left would he also be one of those favorite agents? He was basically an outsider, someone who had taken a prolonged absence but he had lost so much time when it came to being an Agent. He was basically starting off from scratch all over again, and would have to re-build his recognition. Not that he had any to begin with, aside from Damien’s adulation, he wasn’t that important at the time.

He had to wonder what he could do to get on the same tier as Damien. He would have to take some assignments from the Swollen Eyeballs, would he? There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do at this point.

When Damien shook his shoulder Dib finally snapped out of it, looking over at the man’s concerned eyes. “What?”

“You spaced out on me for a second there.” Damien said to him, pulling on a grin. “¿Pensando en algo sucio?”

The question had Dib go red, the scientist smacking his arm in retaliation. “Not here!” He hissed out.

It was obvious to Damien that him speaking Spanish affected the scientist, and he laughed anyway, passing him by. “I’d advise you to go find something to do for the next few hours, because if you stick with me then there’s a chance you’ll get lost.”

“Not a chance, this time I’m not letting you out of my sight.” Dib followed him, the two leaving the room.

“My boyfriend is the jealous type, how adorable.” Damien mused, and that was enough to stop Dib dead in his tracks, the word _boyfriend_ echoing into his subconscious. Dib blinked, was this a relationship now? It was, wasn’t it? He pulled on a goofy smile and wondered if he should call Gaz and tell her the good news. Though… he also remembered his father.

He’d have to come out to his father that he wasn’t going to be coming back to work, wasn’t he? After this weekend he had to find a new job and prepare for the backlash of when his father finds out that he wasn’t a man of science anymore. He already knew how _that_ was going to be taken.

But despite the reality of his life decisions, he now had a boyfriend. In all of his twenty-seven years of living he had never had a relationship of any kind. He had to wonder if he didn’t lose himself the first time would he have met Damien earlier in his life?

Before he could think about it further, someone bumped into him and snapped him out of his reverie. Dib blinked a few times, looking around.

Damien wasn’t there with him.

“God damnit.” Dib cursed under his breath. That’s what he gets for getting distracted.

* * *

Today losing Damien wasn’t as bad as yesterday. Yesterday was mostly a personal mental crisis concerning the man in question, but today he wasn’t in much of a panic to get to him. Of course, the other difference between yesterday and today was their status. They were now a couple, and that meant Damien was now his. He wouldn’t be flirting with others when Dib wasn’t around, would he? Dib tried to think about it, and considering how much Damien had Dib on his mind he didn’t really see a need to be suspicious about anything. No, today was much, much different from yesterday.

So Dib did something he didn’t let himself do the day before; he let himself be immersed into the convention. Saturday seemed like the prime time for the convention to take place anyway, and there was more to do and to see than yesterday. He never had gone to a convention before, much less a paranormal gathering at this magnitude. It was almost a shame that Damien had to work during this convention, because he would have loved to spend it with him. It couldn’t be helped, he figured.

Three hours later and Dib had wandered back into the vendor room, a bag in his hands full of things he had found interesting and wished to keep. At this point he was trying to rebuild his paranormal book collection, having locked away the rest of his stuff when he gave up his life the first time. He could see Agent Bluerose at the table, and to his surprise so was Damien, enjoying some pizza and an energy drink while the girl counted their money, the two having a light discussion.

Dib smiled, heading over to the table and catching Damien’s eyes. The engineer pulled on a smile and set down his pizza before doing anything. “Can’t seem to keep track of you for one minute, can I?”

“Hey, it’s not my fault you don’t answer your phone.” Dib said defensively.

“Bold of you to assume that my phone wasn’t on silent.” Damien answered back with a grin. “Join us, we’re taking a well-deserved break.”

“I’ve just finished selling Damien’s last few machines.” Agent Bluerose said happily, “Now I can go fuck off and do my own thing.” With that said she shoved the money box to Damien and got up. “Here loverboy,” She grinned at Dib, “Sit with your boyfie.”

Dib blushed slightly but took the offered seat, not paying attention to the girl as she left the room. “So, how long are you going to be here?” He asked.

“Technically I can leave at any time.” Damien said honestly, “With my machines having sold out and my panel done there’s nothing keeping me here, and I’ve spent a great deal of time helping everyone else with their stuff.” His eyes fell onto Dib, “Why, do you have an idea?”

Dib’s eyes lingered on Damien’s, and he began to think. “We could go ghost hunting. Technically the weekend isn’t over and I won’t have to see my dad for another day until he gets back from Germany. I want to spend that time doing something else.”

“Ghost hunting.” Damien took a bite out of his pizza and chewed thoughtfully, remembering that this city was very good when it came to hauntings. “Sounds good.” He said after swallowing, “Could be our first date.”

Dib’s heartbeat rang in his head at the word date, and he zoned out again. Yes, of course, it would be a totally logical thing to do. Spend time with his new boyfriend to do something that he used to enjoy when he was younger. Never in his life did he think that he’d get someone who was into paranormal investigating as much as he was.

“How soon can we leave?” Dib then asked, ready to go right now.

Damien looked at his watch, “We can check out whenever, all I have to do is give Tina and my colleagues a heads up—which I could just do by text.” He added the last part in quickly, unable to stop grinning. He was going ghost hunting with the man of his dreams, this was something he couldn’t pass up in a million years. Runestone and Mothman, a team. This was his life’s dream.

A nervous laugh escaped Damien, and he wondered if he was a little _too_ excited. Jesus Christ he sounded like a virgin all over again. He finished his pizza in uneasy silence, trying to think about the day. “You know,” He said then, looking at Dib, “You still didn’t give me that tour.” A small grin appeared on his face then, “As someone who knows the city, surely you’d know the best haunted spots.”

Dib smiled widely at the other, “Oh of course I do.” His knowledge may be a little rusty on where all the prime haunting grounds were, but he retained enough information to see that Damien wouldn’t be disappointed. Though, first things first, he needed to dig out his old files. “Actually can we do something before we go anywhere?” He asked, standing up when Damien did, “I have a storage shed in the area and I need to get out everything I had. It’s basically everything I have on everything I’ve done over the years.”

Damien nodded slowly, “Actually, if you don’t mind me asking…” He led Dib out of the convention hall, going quiet for a moment, when he spoke up again his voice was quieter, “Why did you give it all up in the first place?” The comparison of the Dib Membrane he first ran into was beyond different than the Dib Membrane that he was currently talking to, and he wanted to know why the transition had happened. He still wondered if it had to do with the alien he used to be obsessed over.

The question seemed to be one that was going to happen sometime, and Dib thought about a good answer. “When I was younger I encountered an alien.” He began, “He called himself Zim.”

Damien soon made the connection, “You thought I was Zim.”

Dib waved that comment off, “We’ll get to that later, but when I met him I was eight, and he was trying to conquer the planet. I was the only one who knew that he was really an alien, and at the time I was terribly unpopular because of it. I was often called crazy…but I was the only one who could see the truth that other people were so blind to.”

They crossed the threshold of the hotel and headed to the elevators. “Zim and I would be on this routine for years. He’d try to conquer the planet somehow, then I would stop him, it became…normal for us. But eventually his attempts became lax and we just became…friends. Rather, it was a weird kind of friendship where we understood each other while being enemies.” When they stepped into the elevator Damien closed the door, leaning against the wall.

“Then what?”

Dib sighed, “One day he just…vanished. Poof, up and left. He disappeared and didn’t leave any sort of a note, nothing that told anyone where he’d gone to. His entire base was empty, and I began to wait. Eventually after a year I gave up and…” He trailed off, looking hesitantly at Damien, “I became depressed over it.” He took a moment to breathe, “I had something really good and it left, and suddenly my passion for the paranormal left with him. I couldn’t find anything enjoyable anymore. Ghosts, cryptids, _aliens_ , I couldn’t deal with it. So…I went to my dad.”

The elevator door opened and they stepped out, heading down the hallway. “Dad always hated my paranormal hobbies, always trying to get me to do _real science_ , follow in his footsteps. I was so depressed at the time he brought it up again that I decided to change my whole life, and I wanted to escape feeling like that.”

“You took on science as an escape.” Damien surmised.

“I went into college for it and everything. I pushed everything I had behind me with the help of therapists and medication. My dad paid for everything, he was so overjoyed that I dumped everything I used to love…but…”

“But…” Damien took out his key card, unlocking the door.

“But I wasn’t happy.” Dib said as he stepped into the room, heading to the bed and sitting down. “I never became happy again, I was basically going through the motions and living day by day in some kind of monotone stasis. I think I just became worse than better, because after a while I needed medication in order to sleep. It lasted up until…I met you.”

Damien sat down next to him, folding his legs. “What did I do?”

“You came into my life like this cosmic joke that I thought the world was giving me. We both had similar backgrounds, but everything on your end was better than my end. Your family didn’t judge you on your interests, and you were still popular in school. You had friends. You had basically everything I never had. I thought you were too good to be true. When you mentioned that you looked up to _me_ I couldn’t handle it.”

Damien nodded slowly, “That explains the mental crisis.”

Dib shook his head, “I think my brain was so desperate for a reason why you were so inhuman that I instantly thought that you were Zim in disguise, and I went with that…because it sounded better than believing that you were an actual person.” He shifted to face Damien, “That one week I thought you were Zim, I hadn’t felt so happy in so long…and when you proved that you weren’t…I almost thought I was going to lose it…until you told me about what you were.”

The man smirked, “Me being an alien really does it for you, huh?”

Dib went red at the insinuation, “You had erotic dreams about me as a moth person.”

Damien laughed, a good-natured laugh that couldn’t dispute Dib’s claim. He took a moment to take it all in, smiling afterwards. “I’m glad you found yourself again.” He said then, “Meeting the real you is an experience that I’ll always have with me.”

“The real me is eccentric and paranoid.” Dib clarified, quirking a brow.

“Just like how you were as a kid.” Damien grinned. “I don’t see anything wrong with it, you come off as cute.”

Dib glared at him slightly, “I’m not cute.”

“Muy lindo.”

“Cállate la boca.”

Damien chuckled, “The whitest Mexican I’ve ever seen.” The man grinned again, moving away before Dib could hit him with a pillow. “Alright, so what’s on the agenda?”

Dib went quiet for a moment, “We’re going to unearth my stuff first, then go from there.”

“If you gave up on your dream of being a paranormal investigator then why did you keep it?”

“My sister told me to keep it all. I think she knew this was going to happen eventually.” Dib went for his bag, frowning. “I think I owe her something for that.”

The two of them continued to make light conversation as they packed up everything they had, and Damien sent a text to his colleagues before stepping out of the hotel. He continued to stare at his phone as they put their bags into Dib’s car.

“What’s going on?” Dib questioned, looking his way.

“Tina.” Damien said, showing him the text.

_Don’t get arrested._

Dib snorted in amusement and got into the driver’s seat. “Tell her I don’t make any promises.”

* * *

The storage units were about halfway across the city, and once Dib opened the unit itself Damien had to do a double-take. Everything inside the storage unit filled the whole thing up completely. It made Damien realize that this was a child’s cumulation of information and random items for until Dib had given up on everything. It was obvious to both of them that they wouldn’t be able to move all of this in one or two trips. Especially since Dib’s car was a smart car.

“This is going to take a moving van.” Damien finally told him, picking up one of the many folders in one of the many boxes that were stacked on top of each other, “Would this all even fit in your apartment?”

Dib smiled hesitantly, “If I get rid of the other stuff I don’t like, yes.” He never really liked _real science_ , not as much as his father, and most of that stuff he owned now was his father’s things passed down to him. The last thing he wanted to become was a carbon copy of his father.

“Looks like someone’s doing some room renovations.” Damien opened the file in his hand, reading it over. He had a page full of strangely etched letters that were sharp and bold, almost like an alien language. “Huh.”

Dib looked over his shoulder, “That’s the Irken language. I was able to translate it after weeks and weeks of research.”

Damien quirked a brow, “Can you speak it?”

“A little bit, the language spoken is a bunch of hisses and clicks, but I have trouble getting the dialect right.” He shrugged, “Zim taught me some of it.”

Damien nodded and shut the folder, putting it back in the box. “So, which ones do you want to start with?” He watched Dib wander the small path in between the boxes, finding one that was labeled “Ghosts” over a box that was labeled “Demons”. He picked up the box with a bit of a struggle, until it suddenly became lighter than it should be, and Dib looked over to see Damien watching him with a smirk. “I can lift it up just fine.” He argued.

Just like that the box became heavy again and Dib let out a strangled cry, his legs going weak at the weight before he eventually dropped it. He bent over and placed his hands on the box, sighing. He felt like a limp noodle again, but what he lacked in his strength he made up for in his speed. Dib grumbled irritably, glancing over at Damien, who had rounded the corner and approached him and the box, the man kneeling down to pick it up with little effort.

“You were saying?”

Dib didn’t answer him, straightening up and following the man, contemplating how he could return the favor somehow.

They spent the next hour sorting through the items in Dib’s storage unit, finding some ghost hunting equipment that had seen better days (“You have one of those? That’s discontinued.”), and one extra box that Dib managed to stuff into the car before there was no more room to fit anything else other than themselves. On the way back to the apartment building Damien kept his eyes on the street, watching people walk and enjoy the afternoon. “I need to get my car back.” He said then.

Dib glanced over at him, “Where is your car anyway?”

“My cousin has it, she lives in New Haven with her husband.” Damien smiled, “She’s like me.”

Dib’s head perked up at that, “You mean…?”

“Yeah, she’s part Meekrob.” He leaned back in his seat, “Though her parents aren’t like mine, she wasn’t able to use them freely like I was, she was treated like a science experiment until her husband stepped in.”

Dib turned the corner onto the main road, “What do you mean?”

“Her husband used to be her teacher, they met when she was in high school.” He paused for any interjection, continuing when there wasn’t any, “He didn’t like how her parents were treating her and managed to step in before they entered her into a lab experiment to try and suppress those abilities she has. It turned out that they were having a secret romance by the time she was eighteen and my uncle disowned her for destroying a married man’s marriage, but ever since then he’s been trying to help her with her abilities.”

Dib’s eyebrows raised, “Jesus Christ, she was dating her _teacher_?”

“Hey, they’re only twelve years apart, it’s not that scandalous.” Damien smiled, “He’s not a teacher anymore, obviously, but he’s doing good as a carpenter.”

Dib held in his reservations over the fact that an older man was dating a teenager in secret, because it wasn’t his place to judge. “So she has your car.”

“Yep. All the way in New Haven.”

“That’s near the beach in Jersey.” Dib pointed out, driving them into the parking lot of the apartment building.

“Yeah, it is.”

Dib had a thought, “That area was said to be a hotspot for mermaids.”

“It still is.” Damien replied with a grin, getting out of the car and going to unload it. Like the showoff he was, he took two boxes to carry. Dib only glared at him slightly and took the lightest one there.

Perhaps it was the unwillingness to confront his father, or maybe it was the want to keep this feeling alive for longer, or his want to stay close to Damien, but he wanted to take another week ‘off’ at work and talk Damien into a longer trip. He could hear the little voice in his head calling him a coward, the voice sounding vaguely like his sister.

For now, however, they had one more night, and he was going to make it last.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just ignore the modern slang for a couple of ghosts that lived in the 1800s.

Damien was a witness to his boyfriend making enough room in his apartment for everything he used to have before his mental crisis, watching science books and papers fly out the window and into the dumpster below. It was a testament to how much Dib hated his father’s profession, and now that he had his spark back Damien was now had a view of a lovely transformation, or a manic episode, he didn’t know which. It was nearly amusing, and while Dib was ‘renovating’ his apartment, Damien was in his own, listening to his voicemails and taking down orders for future clients. He was taking notes on his tablet, the man too distracted to pay attention to what was happening.

There was techno music blasting from Damien’s room, and Dib’s door was wide open for the other to listen to it as he cleaned up. By the time he was finished he sighed, brushing away some beads of sweat and making his way to the door. It was nearly dusk, and they had a date for a haunted graveyard. Though, before Dib made his way into Damien’s apartment his eyes fell onto the key jutting out of the doorknob, his brow quirking in curiosity and looking up to the inner workings of the apartment. Did Damien realize he left his key in the door? His eyes went back to it, looking at the black and red lanyard hanging down from it. His fingers twitched in heightened anticipation, realizing the gift he was given. He took another look into the apartment, finding no one within eyesight. He quickly took the key from the knob and turned to re-enter his own apartment, roaming his kitchen to find a lighter and a roll of tape. He managed to find both, keeping his eyes on the door for a few seconds before taking the key into his hand and using the lighter to blacken it, before taking a piece of tape to transfer the shape of the key onto the strip. He grinned slowly, taking that strip of tape and finding his coffee can, applying it to the bottom of the tin and putting it away, moving to wash the black off of the key. He kept his grin as he made his way out of the apartment and into Damien’s, making sure the key was dry and spinning the lanyard around his finger.

He found Damien in the bedroom, and Dib finally was able to see what the room looked like. The walls were a pale blue but the interior decorations screamed Damien, with band posters on the walls and the black and red sheets on his bed. His closet looked themed, but with only a few white garments here and there. The bedpost was what caught his attention, looking metal almost like prison bars of a cell. He kept the mental picture of the room, finally resting his eyes on the person inside of it. “You missed something.”

Damien looked away from his notes and saw Dib swinging the lanyard in his fingers, smiling at the scientist and pointing at the dresser, “Put it there for now, I was fine-tuning some of my notes. Three people called me for commissions.”

Dib set the keys onto the top of the dresser, but he didn’t let them go. “I thought we were going ghost hunting tonight.” His chest felt tight, almost constricting. _Please, please don’t back out on this._

“Oh we’re still going.” Damien said then, and Dib could breathe again. “I just needed to detail these notes before I forget.” He took a look out of the window, noting how dark it was getting. He unfolded his legs and stood up, putting his tablet back down and grinning at him. “So, date night, huh?”

Dib felt his heart pound, nodding enthusiastically. “Yes, I already know where we’re going.” He took the keys with him as he went back into the other room, Damien following. Dib turned to him and handed him the keys, grinning happily.

“Oh, do you?” He smiled, “I can’t wait.” Damien’s whole body was tense in excitement. He was going on a _date_ with his boyfriend, _Agent Mothman_ , and they were going _ghost hunting_. The night sounded perfect, this almost seemed like a surreal dream that he didn’t want to wake up from. It almost sounded improbable that the man he’s been dreaming about for years had just run into him so quickly and their relationship would jump so fast within weeks of meeting. He was so happy that he decided to follow his leads and move to Bycoast, it was the only reason he had decided to leave New Mexico. He hoped Dib would never find out that detail, lest the man think less of him.

“Do you want to gear up or…?” Damien looked at Dib again, wondering how they were going to do this.

Dib gave him a smile, “Let’s go without, play it bare. Just us and a couple of flashlights and our recording equipment.” He hurried back to his own apartment to fish out a flashlight, rummaging through his drawers until he found what he needed. Dib looked it over, turning it on and checking the batteries. Although, getting caught in darkness sounded thrilling in itself, and with that thought in his head Dib foregone replacing those batteries, shutting the flashlight off and turning to the door. Damien was already there, leaning against the hinge and watching Dib with a grin on his face.

“You look as excited as I feel.” Damien told him honestly.

Dib made his way over to the door, “Come on.”

The engineer gave Dib a silly grin and watched as Dib passed, getting a thought in his head and smacking the other’s ass as he passed. Dib yelped and looked back, only catching Damien’s grin turn into an innocent smile.

“Expect that often.”

* * *

The haunted area was about two miles up north and west three blocks. The place held some significance to Dib, since it was one of the first spots that had sparked his interest in the paranormal. He wondered if the ghosts he had encountered then would appear tonight, though a strong part of him said that they would.

Despite all the therapy and the medication to let go and forget his past, Dib could never forget this place. The site held so much history to him, and something more personal. Yes, this was the first time he ever had seen a ghost, but it was that moment that would be such a turning point for him. The graveyard was a catalyst for everything in his past like how Damien was the catalyst that brought him back from the depression he was in. Hell, he was even able to sleep through the night (what little sleep he got) without the need of medications. He hadn’t had that in years.

A part of him wondered if he was going too fast. He had just been a man of science little over a week ago and in a quick succession he was tossing everything his father loved into the trash bin and unearthing his former life without so much of a breath taken in between. He was foregoing a well-paying job to go back to what he used to love doing and removing over ten years of therapy to grab hold of a man that entered his life and flipped it over on its head. His therapist would call this a cry for help. He was upending his life to follow a silly childhood fantasy over an alien that he took claim to. Though while his therapist would call this a mental breakdown, his sister would call this a breakthrough. Dib was Dib again, he wasn’t Professor Membrane’s son. He was his own person again, not living in his father’s shadow, the way his father _wanted_ him to be. This alien that he was now in a relationship with wasn’t a desperate claim to recapture his childhood, he was an actual sign brought to him by the world to help him rediscover who he was and what made him happy to begin with. If he really thought about it, this was all meant to happen, and at his sister’s insistence he had done what she had said and now he was just returning to where he was supposed to be.

Though he had a feeling that his father would have some words for this sudden change in heart. One of those words would be _crazy_ , he had a good feeling about that.

Well, he rather be ‘crazy’ and happy than ‘sane’ and depressed.

When Dib finally realized that Damien had been talking for the entire car ride, Dib’s face went red. He realized he didn’t even know what the man was talking about, lost in his own thoughts.

“So what did you think?” Damien had asked, his eyes yet again glowing in the dark. Dib had a hard time looking away.

“Think about what?”

“Going to Paisley Cove.”

“Paisley Cove?” Dib blinked, recalling where that place was. It was off the shore near New Haven. “What about it?”

They parked in the empty lot of the cemetery, and Damien frowned. “I was thinking like we could make a trip to New Haven to get my car, and while we’re on that we could go to Paisley Cove. There’s been sightings of mermaids and I want to investigate further.”

“Oh.” Dib shut off the car, going silent for a moment while inside he was exploding into a screaming fit. Mermaids! Going mermaid hunting with Damien! Weekend trip, just the two of them! He looked over at Damien, smiling, “Yeah that sounds perfectly fine.”

Damien grinned, “Great. I’ll mark down next weekend for it.”

“Next weekend?” Dib felt a panic rise up from inside of him. If he was planning for next weekend that meant he had to endure a week of working with his father and doing something he didn’t want to do, and possibly having to confront his father to tell him why he couldn’t work there anymore. “Why can’t we do it tomorrow?” Coward. Coward. Coward. Coward.

“Don’t you have a job?” Damien asked, “Tomorrow’s Sunday.”

“I am already on a week leave!” Dib smiled wide, “I don’t really mind.”

Damien thought about it, “I need to begin work on my commissions, I’m not really getting paid to just go on excursions.”

“Isn’t the point of having your own hours being that you can work whenever you felt like it?” Dib’s voice went up an octave, “Don’t you want to get your car?”

The man put a finger to his chin in thought, nodding to himself, “Honestly I don’t know the bus system that well…and I wouldn’t want to start relying on you to drive me anywhere.”

Dib looked away, “Well…I wouldn’t mind _that_.” Hell, maybe he didn’t need a car after all. The man relying on Dib for everything sounded pretty nice when he thought about it.

That thought process didn’t seem as bad as it should have been.

Dib finally unbuckled his seatbelt, “If you really want to, then why not go as soon as possible?”

Damien followed, getting out of the car. He didn’t answer, still considering everything as his eyes roamed the graveyard. He snorted in amusement at the sight, “I feel like I’m in high school again.”

The comment made Dib blush and he headed for the entrance, “Come on, I know this area pretty well.”

The two of them walked into the graveyard quietly, only the flashlight to illuminate the way. There was a full moon, which provided less than adequate lighting other than what they had. In Damien’s hands was his camera, which was filming their night out.

“So what’s the story of this place?” Damien asked, “For the video.”

Dib glanced back at him before heading forward, the two of them going in a certain direction. “In the mid 1800s there was said to be a house on this land, it was owned by two Irish immigrants that built it themselves. They were twins, Braiden and Gillian O’Brien. During the summer a group of Americans set their house on fire while they were asleep, and they were burned alive.” He stopped at the center of the cemetery. “Their house was right here, in this area.”

Damien whistled, looking around, “So…they’re here somewhere.”

“The story doesn’t end there.” Dib said, looking down on a couple of headstones, the names rubbed out. “The property was taken later on and in the 1950s a mental asylum was built over the remains of the house, and it was going well, until people started to describe strange things, sights, sounds, voices and laughter. There was a documented patient, she was thrown into the asylum because she said she could see the dead. Well, she could, and she saw them. The Irish twins. They haunted the whole asylum but specifically the room that she stayed in, which was right in the spot we’re standing in. It’s unknown what the girl had seen, because she would never talk about it. But it wasn’t long until the asylum went up in flames.”

Damien blinked, “Wait, who set the asylum on fire?”

“People think it was the girl that could see the ghosts, that they coerced her to start the fire, but no one knows what ever happened to her. Everyone in the asylum that didn’t die in the fire were a witness to the flames, but after that they decided that this area wasn’t good for any building, so they decided to make the land a cemetery, and decided to make graves for everyone who had died here.” Dib pointed his flashlight at the two stones, “These belong to Braiden and Gillian.”

Damien knelt down onto the grass and reached for one of the stones with his free hand, feeling the etchings. “Now this is the type of legends I live for.”

“Can ye keep it down, people are trying te sleep.”

Dib and Damien jolted, the phone nearly falling out of Damien’s hand at the voice.

There was a chuckle and Damien could see it, a form of a man. He was translucent but he was there, wearing dated clothes and medium-long hair. The hand holding the camera shook slightly. “Mierda.” He whispered, grinning widely.

The ghost took a long look at the two, “It’s pretty late for exploring, yeah? Or are ye…” He stopped as he stared at Dib, grinning slowly. “Brae!”

“What Gil?” There was another voice and a tired yawn, an identical looking ghost coming out from nowhere and bending over to look at Damien. “What’re ye on about?”

“Brae, it’s Little Wee One.”

Damien watched as the ghost inspecting him straightened up and turned to Dib, his eyebrows shooting up into his hair, “Ah!”

“What’s going on?” Damien whispered.

Dib had stopped moving, giving them a hesitant smile, “You remember me?”

“Isn’t he the charmer?” Gillian laughed, “ _You remember me?_ Of course we remember ye. You were nothing but a wee babby, this high.” He lowered his hand to a child’s height.

“You met them before?” Damien finally stood up, and Braiden went over to inspect the other man.

“Who’s this?”

Dib was having a crisis at the moment, swallowing down his shock to go over to Damien, “Uh…this is Damien, he’s my …companion? Partner?” He didn’t know how to say it, “Uh…”

Braiden grinned, “No need to say it, though I win the bet.”

Dib blinked, “Eh?”

“We been guessin’, makin’ bets, that’s all we can do anymore. Either you’d come back with a young lad or a lass, but you arrived with a queer bit of talent.”

“Eh, he looks a little bit of a tosser.” Gillian said thoughtfully, spotting the phone, “Ay, what’s this?” He made his way over to Damien, bending over to look at the phone in his hands, “What is that, a black box?”

Damien couldn’t see much of Gillian’s image on his phone, only a faint shadow where he should be, and he hoped that the voices would be heard, “It’s a phone.”

“A phone?” Braiden looked confused, “What’re you blabbing on about?”

“Aren’t they supposed to be…” Gillian gestured a bigger box with his hands, referring to the phones during the 50s.

“Ah…you don’t know about modern phones.” Damien grinned wide, “It’d be too long to explain it to you.”

“Ah, time speeds past an’ we’re stuck here.” Gillian looked woeful, “What’d I give for an Arthur Scargill.”

Dib didn’t know what to do at that point, watching as the twins kept up a conversation with Damien. He was having a crisis. _Damien could see them._ This meant that his seeing them when he was four wasn’t a delusion on his part. They actually were ghosts that spoke to him and not what the therapist said they were. If Damien was able to see and talk to these two ghosts, that meant he was 100% sane. This meant that his dad, his therapist, _everyone_ had been wrong. Ghosts actually did exist, as well as everything else that he was told was just illusions.

This was the best night ever. Him standing in a graveyard with his boyfriend talking to the first two ghosts he had ever actually spoken to. His cheeks went pink at the thought, and he ended up smiling.

They spent at least an hour at the graveyard, until there were headlights shining from the parking lot. Dib had grabbed a hold of Damien quickly and the two ran for it, leaving the two ghosts laughing as they did their best to avoid the two cops who came in to see who was in the graveyard. Hiding from the flashlights behind gravestones was the second-best part of the night, especially when Damien decided to climb the guilded fence and helped Dib over to the other side. From there it was a run back to Dib’s car and they were able to leave the parking lot before the cops ever saw them. When Damien didn’t see any police vehicles following their car he turned back to the front, both Dib and Damien breaking out into hysterical laughter as Dib drove them home.

“This was the best date I ever had.” Damien said, going over the video that his phone captured, “We might not be able to see their faces, but I’m keeping this video.”

Dib continued to smile.


	7. Chapter 7

It was a little over 2AM when they had returned home, and try as he might Dib couldn’t get Damien to stay over. The winding down of the past two days were getting to him, all of those energy drinks he consumed came with a crash that was waiting to happen and he wanted to get in some time sleeping before doing anything tomorrow. Damien’s plan was to sleep in, foregoing his morning routine for the one day, but Dib had already been thinking once the man made his decision, and while Damien slept, Dib set his alarm.

The taped outline of Damien’s key was still on the back of that coffee tin, and Dib unceremoniously dumped out the coffee that was inside and cut out the bottom, starting to work on his copy. It took him fifteen minutes to cut the key to the exact size, and he grinned, placing it on his nightstand before heading off to bed. The alarm was set for 5AM, but while Damien slept, Dib couldn’t seem to do the same, staring at the ceiling from his own bed and trying to calm down his hyperactive brain. He looked at the clock, noting that it was 3:25, sitting up and sighing. He was unable to sleep as it was. He took the key from his nightstand and stared at it, glancing up to the front door after leaving his own room. It would be so easy to just go over there and sneak into the other man’s bed, wouldn’t it? After a moment of thought he decided to go for it, leaving his apartment and testing his key out for the first time, smiling wide when it successfully unlocked Damien’s door. He pocketed the key and entered the room, locking the door shut before padding to Damien’s bedroom. He just hoped Damien wasn’t still awake.

The man was laying under his sheets, a black sleeveless top over his chest that had some worn-out red words on them, his hair wasn’t braided, splayed over his pillow. Dib stared at it for a moment, realizing how much hair Damien had. His hands twitched and a thought came to him, though he pushed it away as soon as it came. Not now.

Dib stepped to the side of the bed, staring down at Damien’s sleeping form. His breathing was even and there was some light snoring, indicating that he was out cold. Dib smiled, finally climbing into the bed carefully, trying not to wake him. Either Damien was well exhausted not to notice or he was a heavy sleeper, the only reaction was his head turning the other direction and a mumble escaping with his breath. Dib managed to get under the covers, continuing to watch while Damien slept and finding that he rather liked this. In his mind he began to wonder if Damien had anyone before him. He remembered the man’s comment, how this was the best date he ever had. Did that mean Damien had been on other dates before? How many people has he dated in the past? Did he go far as to have sex with them? Did they mean anything to him? Each question had him upset, a wave of jealousy tingling down his spine. Damien’s mind had been set on Dib for years, it made no sense why Damien would hook up with anyone who wasn’t _him_. Did that count as cheating? If Damien’s intentions were to find Dib and he went with someone else, was that grounds for being deceitful? He frowned, his eyes still lingering on Damien’s, mainly his lips. How many people did this man kiss before Dib?

The conscience in the back of his mind reassured him, telling him it didn’t matter if he was with anyone before him, because he was with Dib _now_ , and there wouldn’t be anyone else as long as he was there. His eyes continued to stare at his lips, and Dib shifted, kneeling over him slightly and leaning down so he could kiss those lips, as if kissing him now would be erasing the past times he had kissed anyone else. He wanted to erase more than that.

Dib broke away from Damien, shifting again so he was laying right next to him, his chest pressed to Damien’s side. He hadn’t felt like this towards anyone before, the obsessive thoughts and the raging bouts of possessiveness, it had to be love, right? This was what being in love felt like. He had never been like this with anyone, well, almost anyone. Zim came pretty close and if he stayed then Dib would probably be doing the same, but he was gone. Damien was here, Damien had been _searching for him_. The last thing he was going to do was allow another alien to leave again. No, Damien wasn’t ever leaving his side, and he would kill anyone who even tried to take him away.

Dib’s eyes slipped shut and he found himself finally being lulled into sleep, not really caring that he was sleeping in his glasses.

When the sun’s light began to peek through the blinds Dib found himself waking again, realizing that he had fallen asleep in Damien’s bed. He smiled at that, feeling the man’s chest under his arm, still breathing evenly. He was still deep asleep. Dib rose himself up slightly to peek at the alarm clock, noting that it was 6:15.

As soon as he shifted himself to a sitting position he head a small groan, his eyes falling onto Damien again and he listened to the man sigh blissfully, wondering what kind of dream Damien was having. His eyes trailed downward to the blanket, noting the prominent tent where his crotch should be. Dib’s eyes went back up at Damien’s face, lingering on the small goofy smile that appeared.

Instantly Dib wondered who he was dreaming about, and a jealous thought flared through his mind, hoping that it wasn’t anyone but him. Agent Bluerose told him he had erotic dreams about Dib, but did he have that about anyone else? He shouldn’t, Dib thought.

Dib’s fingers twitched and a bold thought passed through his mind, looking back down at the tent in the blankets, and he felt his spine tingle from the suggestion that the voice in the back of his head had given him. He looked back up at Damien’s face, noting that he was still asleep before pulling away the blanket over him. What he met was a pair of black plaid boxers, and Dib took care into moving. He settled himself between Damien’s legs, reaching up to fish the man’s cock through the opening, the bold thought driving his intentions. He looked back up at Damien, the man was still sleeping, still dreaming of someone. Dib dipped down to lick along his shaft, feeling the man shudder while a groan escaped him. The scientist grinned inwardly and continued to taste him, already getting the flavor of cinnamon on his tongue as he lapped at the head.

“Mnh…” Damien’s eyes opened slightly before shutting again, not wanting to escape whatever dream he was happening. It felt better than the other dreams, almost too real. He sucked in a sigh when he felt something warm and moist over his own dick, and his hips rocked up on instinct, only to feel hands hold his hips back down. “Dib—“ He breathed, hearing a sharp intake of breath before the person sucking him off began to double his efforts. Damien felt the dream escaping him, Dib’s moth-like form leaving his subconscious but the sensations stayed with him. He let out another groan and finally allowed himself to wake, opening his eyes and seeing…

Dib straddling him, the man’s eyes on his person. Damien continued to stare without any sort of thought, until he began to realize that Dib was inside his bed in his apartment…and…

The tight pressure of Dib settling himself on his cock had wiped away whatever realization or thoughts he was having, Damien’s eyebrows raising but as he began to sit up Dib’s hands pushed him back down again. He stilled, opening his mouth to speak before one look from his boyfriend told him that he wasn’t allowed. This was a theme, it seemed, he wasn’t allowed to do anything while Dib fucked him…or was he fucking himself on him? His thoughts began to tangle up as the feeling of pleasure wracked through him. For a bottom he was surely acting like a top, Damien finally concluded, though his hands wanted to grasp Dib’s arms so he could flip them over.

Dib let out a pleased sigh, enjoying how Damien was underneath him, unable to do anything but receive what he was being given. The man seemed still so sleep-addled that he didn’t understand what was going on, but Dib didn’t care. He wanted to give him something to dream about, something that wouldn’t leave his mind. He rocked down sharply onto Damien, feeling him brush against that _one spot_ and letting out a groan.

Damien was falling apart at the seams, the harder Dib rode him the more Damien wanted to grab him and take over, fuck this man into oblivion and show him just what he could do, but as soon as Dib saw Damien’s arms move he grasped the man’s hands to pin them over himself. Damien couldn’t help the small whine that escaped him, only to get that same look again. That look said everything, no speaking, no moving, nothing or he was going to stop what he was doing. Damien couldn’t really complain, Dib knew what he was doing, and he felt a tad bit jealous of the person he learned it from, because Dib never came off like a blushing virgin. Oh, he suddenly _hated_ whoever Dib was with before him.

Dib was having trouble keeping up the momentum, his orgasm was threatening to roll through him and shatter what resolve he had. His grip on Damien’s wrists became weakened and the man underneath him suddenly had a glint in his crimson eyes. In a quick succession Damien reached up, grabbed his lover and flipped the two of them over so that Damien was now on top. Dib’s eyes widened but once he opened his mouth Damien began to pump into him, whatever sound coming from Dib’s mouth fell into a whimper while the engineer drilled every ounce of passion into him. The orgasm that was threatening him was now wracking through Dib and the man let out a cry, his release hitting his own chest. Damien gazed down at Dib and gave him a wolfish grin before thrusting one, two, three times in a harsh succession before finding his own release. Damien’s body tensed and he let out a pleasured groan, leaning down to capture Dib’s mouth in his own. The man underneath him was too dazed to keep up, letting himself be swept up into the kiss before Damien ended it with a teasing lick to his lips. Dib could only stare, unable to speak.

Damien smirked and finally slid out of him, laying to one side and propping his head up with his hand, “How did you get in my room?”

Dib blushed furiously and babbled, turning to him and trying to think fast, “Um—uh—the door—was unlocked.” He wasn’t the best liar in the world, but the amused smile on Damien’s face told him that he either bought the lie or was going to ignore it.

“I guess I must have been too tired to notice.” Damien said thoughtfully, grinning. “Though I don’t dislike what I’m waking up to.”

Dib didn’t know how to feel, the words had been fucked out of him and he hated that Damien was able to use a moment of vulnerability against him. “Don’t get full of yourself.” He finally said, still red in the cheeks.

“I think you already got full of myself this morning.” Damien said teasingly, and Dib lashed out, shoving him and going back to straddle the other. The man underneath him only gave him a shit-eating grin. “Aw, you want another go?”

“The next time this happens I’m tying you to the bed.”

“¿Era un niño travieso?”

Dib didn’t answer, using that moment to climb over him to get to the edge of the bed, sliding off so he could pull off his shirt. “I’m going to shower.”

Damien sat up and managed to get his own clothes off, “There’s enough room for two.” He was able to smack Dib’s ass as he passed the other to get to the bathroom.

Sadly for the engineer, there wasn’t an option for shower sex, as much as he wanted it, what he did earlier had Dib denying him anything of the sort for the rest of the day. It was blatantly obvious that the roles of the relationship had been set up in Dib’s favor, and Damien couldn’t really complain about it. What was he going to complain about? The dynamic wasn’t something he was used to, but his inner voice told him that this was going to be the new norm, and Damien always liked trying new things.

Something about it made it cute, in his opinion.

After the shower Damien went to the kitchen to cook, making some scrambled eggs. Dib, on the other hand, had went back to his apartment only to find that his alarm had been going off since 5AM. He shut it off and looked at his phone, seeing three missed calls. Two were from his dad, and one was from Gaz. He sighed, having forgotten to tell Gaz how everything went out. She was probably curious if anything had happened.

He pressed the redial button, putting the phone to his ear. His shoulders were becoming tense over what she was going to say.

_“So?”_

Dib couldn’t help but smile, “So what?”

_“Did you hit it or not?”_

“I don’t really have to tell you that.”

_“Jesus Motherfucking Christ Dib, you call me in a blinding panic and don’t contact me for days and you expect me not to call you and check up? I was worried that Dad took you to the mental ward.”_

“Oh.” Dib laughed hesitantly, “Well, you see uh…we kinda…”

_“So you did hit it.”_

“GAZ!” Dib looked towards the open door before putting his hand to his mouth, “I’m not going talk about it.”

_“Oh come on, we’re both adults.”_

“You’re my sister!”

_“Your reactions are telling me my answer already. Congrats, you followed my advice. Finally.”_

Dib’s shoulders relaxed and he sighed, turning away from the door, “Yeah, he’s…Christ, Gaz, I haven’t felt this happy in years.”

_“Then good, I’ve did my good deed for the year. Everyone can rest easy.”_ There was a pause, _“Have you told Dad yet?”_

Dib blinked, “Told Dad what?”

_“That you’re not into his real science lifestyle anymore.”_

Dib didn’t answer, and he could hear Gaz groaning under her breath.

_“You haven’t told him yet, have you?”_

“Technically I don’t have to tell him if I keep taking days off of work.” Dib said then, grinning slightly.

_“Don’t be such a fucking pussy. Either you tell Dad that you’ve gone back to how you’ve used to be or he’s going to find out sooner or later. The longer you don’t tell him the harder it’s going to be for you to tell him, do you realize that? You’re just going to keep putting it off until something happens and things turn out bad.”_

The man let out a whine, “But Gaz—“

_“Shut up. Tell Dad, or I’m telling him to call you.”_

Dib almost dropped his phone, “What? Wait don’t I get a choice in this?”

_“I’ve already given you a choice, Dib. One or the other, you make your decision.”_

He didn’t expect this call to take such a turn, and now he was forced to do something he didn’t want to do. Why couldn’t Gaz give him a month to settle before telling his father?

“Breakfast!”

Dib looked back over at the door, “That’s Damien, I have to go.”

_“You have a week.”_

She hung up after that, and Dib felt his gut twist. He had a week to gather up his determination and break the news to his own father. Why did his sister have to care about his well being? But then, if it weren’t for her help then he would still be stuck in that infinite loop of denial and depression. If her only request was for him to tell their father about his life decision, then it wasn’t as bad as what she would have requested out of him.

He just needed to stop being a fucking coward.

Dib put his phone down onto the table and headed back into Damien’s apartment, smelling eggs and toast. He was grating cheese onto the eggs, smiling to himself. “This is the first time I’ve ever eaten breakfast with my boyfriend.”

Jealousy twisted in Dib’s gut at the words, and he sat down when Damien did. “Who were you dating before me?”

Damien took a bite of eggs, chewing them for a moment and swallowing, “Just some…people.” He said vaguely, “Passing fancies, I at least had around three boyfriends.”

Three boyfriends… “Did you sleep with them too?”

“I slept with at least seven people.” Damien answered, and that twisting feeling in Dib’s gut became a knot. “Who were you with before me?” He then asked, quirking a brow. “You know what you’re doing.”

Dib didn’t answer right away, biting a slice of toast. He looked away after swallowing, “No one important.” He answered, “I was in college, it was one of those times where I became explorative. Each one was a mistake, one in particular was a mistake for two years.”

Damien felt his own coil of jealousy, “Two-year long relationship?”

Dib let out a bark of nervous laughter, “Hardly, we just…all we did was…” He didn’t say the rest, looking back at Damien, “But this isn’t about me, you had three boyfriends and at least four other partners?”

It was Damien’s turn to look away, pretending that a magnet on the refrigerator was interesting. “They didn’t mean anything.”

“But you still had them, all the while dreaming about me.” Dib continued, still staring at him.

“The three that I dated reminded me of you.” Damien finally said, laughing slightly. “Back then I didn’t have a face to go off of, but I remembered how you acted. You were passionate about your obsession, you were eccentric and a little paranoid. Those three other guys I dated were similar, but as much as I wanted to believe that they were you, they were never the real Mothman. Those relationships only lasted a month or so.”

Dib felt his heart beating in his chest, unable to look away from Damien’s face. His relationships were because of _him_. He was actively looking for Dib at every moment. But, the knot in his gut didn’t let off. “And those four others?”

Damien grinned sheepishly, “I like to party.” He chuckled, “I uh…get very handsy when I drink, and suddenly oops my dick is in someone’s ass.”

Dib rolled his eyes, “Well, I guess I’m not leaving you alone at clubs, if we go to any.”

Damien kept his grin, “That aside, I doubt our pasts matter anymore, if you’re intending on making this serious, which I hope you are, because I am.” He took a glass of orange juice and sipped it.

“I’m your last boyfriend.” Dib said without hesitation, drinking his own.

Damien couldn’t really tell him about how that made him feel; excited, jubilant, flattered. He didn’t even care that they were about three days into their relationship, he’d been looking for Dib for _years_.

He was so happy that even the possessive jealousy didn’t come off as a bad sign to him, no, in Damien’s opinion it was all endearing.

The two ate in relative silence after that, Dib thinking about what he had to do. He had to call his father eventually, by the end of the week, he had to tell him that he wanted to leave the family business and go out on his own as a paranormal investigator, that he wasn’t crazy or delusional and this wasn’t just a cry for help. He had a feeling his father would call his therapist right after, and perhaps they would try to convince him to return to the hospital so they could ‘talk him out of it’. All of that sounded so repetitive and horrendous and Dib suddenly didn’t want to talk to his father, no, he had to delay this somehow. He thought about how he could do that, looking at Damien before remembering their previous conversation.

“Hey, do you wanna go to New Haven?”

Damien quirked a brow curiously in Dib’s direction, thinking about what he was commissioned to do first. What they wanted wasn’t something that would take him too long to make, and by now he could make anything within the span of two days if he did all-nighters like he used to. He could get his car, which meant he could actually not have to rely on others to get anywhere, and he could take Dib to Paisley Cove. That sounded nice when he thought about it.

Damien finally grinned at him, “Do we need to pack swim trunks?”


	8. Chapter 8

It was about two hours to get from Bycoast to New Haven if the traffic wasn’t congested. It was currently summertime, and the people wanting to travel south to the beaches made up for 90% of the traffic down the highway. Damien was enjoying himself, his head resting against the headrest, black sunglasses over his eyes as Dib drove the car down the interstate. They had two packed bags for at least a two day excursion, including swimwear, sandals, and a couple of towels.

The radio was on, playing the local rock hits, not loud enough to blast their eardrums but loud enough to be heard with two rolled-down windows.

“So your cousin, what’s she like?” Dib asked over the music.

“Dakota?” Damien thought it over, “She’s intelligent, but she could talk your head off about aliens.”

Dib’s head perked up, “Aliens?”

He smiled, “Yeah, she’s pretty interested about aliens. But unlike me she couldn’t really explore the thought. Her parents weren’t like mine, my uncle didn’t care for his alien blood at all, and so he did his best to distance himself from it, and tried to do the same to her. He just wanted to be normal, but it’s kinda hard to do when your kid is throwing things around without touching them.”

“Your grandma…is she the…”

“Grandpa’s the alien.” Damien clarified.

“How did they meet exactly?” Dib glanced at Damien, curious as to how his grandmother met an actual alien.

“Well, grandma lived in Peru at the time, and grandpa, he was exploring the world, he became so interested in different cultures. He would hop from country to country to learn how the humans worked and lived but when he came to Peru he really fell in love with the Incan lore. He decided to stay for a lot longer than he normally did and that’s where he met grandma. You can pretty much tell how that goes, if it ended up with them having children. I got my eyes from grandpa.” He laughed a little, “The only downside to these eyes is that I’m sensitive to the sunlight.” His laugh didn’t sound genuine, and Dib was able to pick up on the inconsistency.

“Did you grow up in Peru or here?”

“Both. I was born here, but my parents would sometimes go back to Peru and take me with them. It’s a pretty country. I haven’t been back there since I left grade school.” Something about the tone of his voice seemed a little uneasy, as if there was more to the story that he didn’t want to divulge. Before Dib could ask anything more however, Damien turned his attention onto him. “Your turn. Tell me your story.”

Dib wondered if that was an evasive tactic, but allowed the change, taking a moment to think about how to tell the story, keeping his eyes on the road. “Our mom…died after giving birth to Gaz.” He looked somber for a second, “I hardly remember what she looks like anymore unless I look at a picture. There isn’t many, Dad has most of them.” He glanced at Damien again, “You know that graveyard we went to last night?”

The man nodded, keeping an eye on Dib.

“Mom’s buried there.” Dib continued, “That was when I first met the twins, when I was four and Dad took us during the winter to see her grave for the first time. I remembered that day vividly, because the twins were stalking us, and I could see them. I think Gaz could see them too, but she didn’t say anything. Dad didn’t really pay attention, or he did but he didn’t think they were real. He thought I was talking to imaginary friends at the time, but they were the first ghosts I ever saw. That’s basically how I became immersed into everything paranormal.”

The story made Damien smile wide, “You took me to a special place then.” He looked flattered, “So that’s why they remember you being so young.”

Dib smiled sheepishly, “I went there again when I was ten, that’s when they last saw me. They never forgot who I was.” He paused, “Out of everything my therapist wanted me to let go of, I couldn’t ever put the graveyard out of my mind. The place is very personal to me, I don’t care what they said.”

“And you shared it with me.” Damien unbuckled his seatbelt so he could lean over and give Dib a kiss on the cheek, and Dib nearly swerved when he did that, reaching out with one hand to push the other back.

“Get back in your seat, we’ll be pulled over.”

“Not the first time I’ve been arrested!” Damien chirped, laughing as he sat back down. The drive continued and Damien could see the edge of the ocean in the distance, inwardly becoming excited that they were nearly there. “Okay turn at the next left.”

Dib did exactly that, the two of them getting off at the next exit. The beach still looked a few miles away, but New Haven was right there. He continued to follow Damien’s directions, coming to a suburb. He continued to drive until they reached a quaint little house, where an obvious red mustang was sitting in the driveway, decorated with black accents. Dib stared at the car for a while, slowly turning his attention to Damien, “Really?”

Damien looked back at him, “Really what?”

“The car is red and black.” Dib said blandly.

“Gotta keep up with the theme.” Damien answered with a grin, getting out of the car and hurrying over to his own and nearly hugging it. “¡Mi bebé!”

Dib snorted in amusement and shook his head, shutting off his own car and getting out, going over to where Damien was and looking into the window of the car, seeing that the interior was just as color-coordinated as the outside. He rolled his eyes, watching as Damien used his key to slide into the car itself. “I’m going to buy you something blue one day and force you to wear it.” He said with an amused smirk.

“Blasphemy.”

“Hey you!” A voice suddenly shouted, “Get the fuck off my property!”

Damien poked his head out the door, “Fuck you this is my car!”

The man that left the house looked to be taller than Dib, sporting ample amount of tattoos on both of his arms. His hair was a nest of black and his blue eyes were tired. “No, that car belongs to my deadbeat cousin!” He was grinning despite the yelling, and Dib looked confused, looking from the man to Damien, and back to the man.

“Well fuck you, old man. Your deadbeat cousin is drop dead gorgeous.” Damien was also grinning, sliding out of the car and going over to the man, opening his arms to take him into a tight hug. “I told you I’d come back.”

The man hugged him back, his eyes finally falling onto Dib. “Who’s the noodle?”

Damien snorted, letting go of him and gesturing over to Dib, “Dib, this is Matthew Drake. Matthew, this is my boyfriend, Dib Membrane.”

Matthew went silent for a moment, quirking a brow. “Membrane?”

Dib tilted his head to the side.

“I know your dad.” He said then, scratching his chin, “Well, I think it’s your dad…got the same weird hair.”

“That’s probably my dad.” Dib went over to him, “Are you well known in the science field too?”

Matthew let out a bark of laughter, “Hardly. I was in the Marines and he was taking volunteers for some sort of blood transfusion thing, some sort of…field testing, I was one of the volunteers.”

Dib looked confused, he didn’t know his father worked with the Marines. Blood transfusion? “It’s weird when everyone’s done work with my father.” He finally said, looking over at Damien, “Didn’t you say that Dakota worked with my father too?”

“Her parents did.” Damien clarified, “By the way, is she here?” He switched his eyes on Matthew, the man pointing his thumb inside the house.

“She’s inside making lunch. Wanna stay for a bit?”

Damien grinned smoothly, “What kind of deadbeat cousin would I be if I didn’t come in and take advantage of free food?”

Matthew snorted, turning and leading them back to the house. Dib quietly followed, his eyes mostly on everything he was stepping into. The house was nearly modern, nothing seemed out of the ordinary and it looked almost like one of those stock photos of a normal living room. The only personal effects were the photos. There was one photo that stood out in particular, a picture of two children with long black hair wearing traditional Peruvian clothing, one with red eyes and one with green, the girl beside Damien being lighter-skinned than himself. The backdrop looked to be a forest. This was the first time ever seeing Damien as a child.

“That’s Dakota.” Damien’s voice made Dib jump slightly, the man right behind him. “I think we were around five when that was taken?” He stared at the photo with a strange kind of emotion. Dib only continued to stare at the photo, smiling.

“You looked cute as a kid, I bet everyone loved—“

“It’s not important.” Damien said evasively.

Dib blinked, looking back at Damien and sensing that it wasn’t something he wanted to delve into. He didn’t really understand, it was just a childhood photo. “What’s not important?”

Damien looked over at him again but before he could say anything a woman had walked into the room. Her eyes came onto Dib and Damien and she smiled, “Back for the car I see. Who’s this, a friend?”

The engineer smiled widely, as if nothing had happened two seconds ago, reaching for Dib to pull him over. “This is my boyfriend.”

Dakota’s eyebrows raised, “Boyfriend?” She went to Dib and studied his appearance, “Why do you always like tall skinny white guys?”

“I’m Mexican!” Dib nearly shouted.

“This is who I was looking for all this time.” Damien told her, “Agent Mothman.”

“Ohhh…” Her eyes went wide and she looked at him in a whole new way, “You mean you finally found him?”

Dib blushed, wondering just how many people Damien had told. He looked back at the other and saw the goofy grin on his face. He sighed, turning back to her. “How much did he tell you?”

Dakota put a finger to her chin, “He talked about you often, it was strange, someone so obsessive over another boy he never got to see in person, much less _meet_ —“

“He doesn’t need to know the details!” Damien shoved Dib away and tried to take Dakota aside, “Don’t go into detail—“ He whispered.

There was a mischievous glint in Dakota’s eyes and she glanced back at Dib, “You mean how you specifically moved to New York to follow a lead?” Her voice had raised when she said it, and Damien went pale. He turned back at Dib, his hands raised.

“D-don’t listen to her.” He felt nervous, the very admission that he actually came to New York to follow Dib just made him look like a crazy stalker.

Dib’s blush didn’t leave him, realizing that he was actually right in his assumptions. A smile grew on his face and he didn’t answer immediately, only seeing how cute Damien looked when he was overwhelmed with nervousness. “I knew you were stalking me.”

A wave of embarrassment and anxiety flooded into Damien’s body and his face fell, “I—I—it’s not like I knew what you looked like, the apartment I chose wasn’t because you lived there, it was only happenstance—I’m not really a stalker—“

Dib held in a laugh and went over to him, “Calm down, there’s nothing wrong with that.” Especially when Dib was the one to copy Damien’s key so he could sneak into his apartment to watch him sleep. He put that thought aside, pulling Damien down for a kiss.

The anxiety and embarrassment had dissolved from the kiss alone and left Damien with a feeling of relief, and he could hear Dakota giggling behind him. He ignored her, moving to hug Dib tight.

The woman just watched, grinning slightly, “How long are you planning to stay?” She asked then, feeling like it was time for a subject change.

Damien let go of Dib, smiling at her despite the fact that she outed him. “Well we packed for a couple of days, I want to take him to Paisley Cove.”

“Paisley Cove.” Dakota clapped her hands together, “That’s another ten miles down. Going swimming with your boyfriend or is this something else?”

“Mermaids.”

Dakota nodded in understanding, “I see, I see. I heard they were sirens though.”

Dib perked his head up, “Sirens?”

She nodded, “Yeah there’s been some disappearances at the beach, and they’re mainly men. I don’t want to speculate too much but I think they might be sirens. You know, they lure men out to eat them alive and all that.”

Dib looked a little worried, but Damien looked intrigued at the idea. “Sirens sound more interesting than mermaids, to be honest.”

“What if we get attacked?” Dib looked at him, knowing this man’s charisma would likely get him swarmed by _anything_. “You’re the one most likely to be lured.”

Damien snorted in amusement, “Oh, that’s assuming that it works on me.”

Dib opened his mouth but Matthew had come back into the room with a grin, “Anyone like pulled pork?”

“I’m a fucking vegetarian, old man.” Damien was grinning.

Matthew was grinning as well, flipping him off. “Well fuck you, you didn’t give us any notice. Go have beans then.”

Damien broke away before Dib could continue the argument, and he resigned himself to having lunch with the subject dropped in favor of catching up.

He was perfectly fine looking for mermaids, they weren’t as dangerous as sirens were. Sirens were always depicted as creatures that lulled sailors to sleep so they could tear them apart, and with the disappearances of men at the beach, then there was a chance they were murdered or devoured. You can’t find evidence of a corpse if the murderer had eaten the evidence to begin with. He had no worries about himself, it was more Damien who he was worried about, a man that women seemed to flock to by instinct. He held natural charisma by just smiling at someone, and sirens were women, fish women, and he had a feeling it would just be as bad with a siren. His gut churned at the thought, that his boyfriend would get caught up in their song and be lured out to the ocean to be decimated. Jesus Christ why did it have to be sirens?

After lunch Damien had decided that they should take his car to get to the cove before leaving with both of them, something Dib couldn’t really object against. It meant that Damien was driving the rest of the way, and he was curious about the car. Though once Damien started it he heard the engine revving, almost choking on his own saliva.

“Worked on it myself.” Damien said with a grin, pulling down his sunglasses again and sliding into the front seat.

Dib had a bad feeling about today in general, listening to the car sound like a monster waiting to be unleashed.

His worries weren’t unfounded, Dib realized upon being a passenger in Damien’s car that Damien drove like a madman. The ten miles to Paisley Cove didn’t take as long when Damien was behind the wheel, and he assumed they’d get pulled over at any time, only to find that Damien had good police radar, and would drive like a normal person when one was in sight.

_“Not the first time I’ve been arrested!”_

The worst part about it was that Dakota was in the back seat, _laughing_.

“Don’t you find this erratic?” He asked in a high pitched voice, trying to look at her through the rear view mirror.

“Damien’s always drove this way!” Dakota responded, “He’s all about pushing the line.”

Damien grinned widely, making a sharp left turn when the light turned green and causing Dib to cry out. He had a death-grip on the handle above the window, suddenly thankful that he was driving home in his own car. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Damien drove like a maniac, with how he did everything else in his life, he was the exact opposite of Dib.

By the time they had reached the beach Damien had stopped driving like a madman, actually finding a spot to park like a sensible person. Dakota let out a laugh and stepped out of the car after Damien pulled the seat up, the woman taking her own bag into her hands and handing Damien his.

“You know the area better than I do, take us to the spot where the sightings are.” Damien said then.

“First let’s change.” Dakota pointed to a restroom, and the three of them headed over to do just that.

Dib sighed, having switched his regular clothes for a pair of swim trunks, of course, blue. If Damien had a theme then so did Dib, and in his mind he already imagined how Damien’s would look. He slipped on his thong sandals after that and escaped the stall, listening to the whistling that was coming from the next. Dib rolled his eyes and headed to the mirrors, finally looking at himself.

Pale wasn’t even the right word for what he looked like. He reminded himself of an undercooked piece of white dough that hadn’t gotten the chance to rise. _I’m so pale_ , he thought blandly, hearing the next stall open. What entered the mirror’s image then was Damien and his bronze skin, wearing red and black swim trunks. Compared to Damien, Dib realized just why Matthew called him a _noodle_. It was actually offensive with how good Damien looked, and immediately he regretted this idea, because once they left the restroom eyes of the beachgoers would be on Damien and Dib felt a twisting coil of jealousy that he had to mentally beat down with a golf club. He had to remember that Damien was _his_ , and that was something he had over any of the other people at the beach. All they could do was look. With that thought, the jealousy slowly evolved into a sense of smugness.

“You look so adorable.”

All that smugness left him like a gust of wind, and Dib looked at Damien. “I’m not adorable.” He argued.

Damien only smirked at him and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “Qué adorable.”

Dib was doing his best to not have a reaction that he shouldn’t have in public, “Don’t speak Spanish on me, not here.” He hissed out.

“¿Qué, tienes miedo de ser excitado?”

Dib became red, shoving past Damien and leaving the bathroom. The engineer only grinned, pushing his sunglasses back on over his eyes before making his way out.

Dakota was already waiting for them, smiling wide and wearing a light green bikini with ruffles. She held her beach bag close to herself, ready to dart out onto the beach. “Great!”

Dib looked around, seeing how full the beach was. “Sirens come here where there’s so many people?” He questioned.

“Not here, there’s a path that takes you to a more private part of the cove.” She gestured for them to follow, and the two began to walk.

Dib brought up the rear while Dakota and Damien were up front. Already he noticed several women looking Damien’s way.

_“No way.”_

_“Look how hot he is.”_

_“Is that his girlfriend?”_

_“She’s pretty too.”_

_“Oh I wish I could get his number.”_

Dib snorted, the claims that Dakota was his girlfriend was funny to him. What they didn’t know. He smiled in his own amusement, going forward to catch up to Damien, seamlessly taking his hand without a word. Damien just glanced down at their joined hands and laughed lightly.

The girls who were staring at Damien seemed to look defeated and turned away, and the three of them continued to walk to the less populated part of the beach.

“We’re going to have to go through some bushes.” Dakota told them, “Nothing too wild.”

They were headed to what looked like to be a dead end, the beach ending at a field of tall bushes. Dakota smiled and used her own abilities to part what she could, weaving though them. Dib went between her and Damien, his eyes wide as they parted the bushes without even touching them. They walked for a couple of minutes until their feet met sand again, and Dib could see it, a more empty beach without any form of human life, near a small clifftop that towered over the ocean, looking almost like a perfect spot to dive from. Dakota stared at the clifftop, pointing over to it. “Matthew and I would dive from there, it’s perfectly safe if you want to take the plunge.”

Dib made his way out to the center of the small beach, finally removing his sandals and feeling the hot sand beneath his feet. He looked towards the water, only seeing miles and miles of ocean and wondering if the sirens were out now, or would they have to wait until the sun went down? “This place probably gets overlooked due to the bushes.”

“It does.” Dakota said with a grin, “Matthew and I take that to our advantage.” There was a mischievous glint in her eye that meant more than what she said, and Dib blushed, turning away from her and looking for Damien. The man in question had set down his bag and taken off his sandals and was in the midst of rolling out his beach towel.

“When do the sirens become active?” Damien asked his cousin, looking over to see Dakota also rolling out her towel.

“In the evening mostly, the disappearances of men happened during the nighttime, when the beach is closed.” She looked over at the ocean again, “This spot is a good place to hide when the beach closes, no one really comes here and we can go back to the main part to do some recon. I wanted to do this with Matthew but he doesn’t want to stay out too late when he works early at sunrise.”

Damien grinned, “I guess it’s time to work on your tan, Dib. We’re gonna be here a while!” He broke out into a run, throwing off his sunglasses before heading into the ocean.

Dib rolled his eyes, listening to the splashes and the sound of Dakota laughing. He looked up at the sun, it was high up in the sky, not even past noon. They were going to be there for eight hours.

He looked back at Damien and saw the man having fun in the water, and suddenly the wait didn’t seem that bad.

* * *

The sun had eventually started setting, which was a beautiful sight in itself. Damien was sitting on the cliff to watch the sun go down, a little while longer he was joined by Dib. Damien’s sunglasses were off, his glowing red eyes visible in the dimming light. Dib’s eyes lingered on his before looking back at the mixture of purple, red, and orange. Without a word Dib’s hand found Damien’s, their fingers interlacing.

“I think this is the first time I’ve seen a sunset at the ocean.” Damien said quietly, looking higher up at the sky and seeing the stars begin to peek out of the dimming canvas of dark blue. Dib eventually looked away from the sunset and over to Damien, thinking back to the photo.

“What didn’t you want to tell me?” His voice was quiet, only loud enough for Damien to hear.

He looked down at Dib, and the man wondered just how many people were a witness to those glowing eyes. “The photo.” He clarified, “You were a cute kid.”

“You would think that, huh?” Damien smiled wanly, “You’d be about the only one that thought that, aside from my family…”

Dib frowned, “What do you mean?”

“Red eyes don’t really get you popularity as you would assume.” Damien said quietly, “When I was a child the older folks assumed I was touched by Satan, an evil child.” His eyes went back to the sunset, “I was an outcast for most of my childhood, and it was worse in Peru, I was called Hijo de satanás.”

“Child of Satan.” Dib’s hand squeezed Damien’s, “You told me you were popular with everyone.”

“That’s only when we moved to New Mexico, I was entering junior high and I pawned my eye color off as specialized contacts.” He chuckled, “You wouldn’t believe how many people assume my eyes are just contacts. Even Tina thinks that.”

Dib kept looking at him, “I really love your eyes.”

Those five simple words meant more to Damien than anything, but he didn’t reply, looking up at the sky again. The stars were now more visible, the canvas transitioning to a deeper blue, nearly black. By now the sun was just peeking at the surface of the ocean. Dib turned away from Damien to also look up at the stars, smiling at the sight.

“I was able to go up there once.” Dib said to him, “It’s really beautiful.”

Damien smiled, “Zim, right?”

“He was trying to destroy the world using the planet Mars, but I was on Mercury and I stopped him.”

Damien chuckled again, looking over at him, “I know something that’s more interesting than the stars.”

Dib’s blush was easily disguised in the dimming light and he looked down at the ocean. “…I want to find Zim again.”

“Again?”

“I already tried at least once before, then I became depressed and started working for Dad…but I want to try it again. Maybe there was something that I missed.”

Damien didn’t answer at first, thinking it over in his mind. There was a slight quiver of envy that threatened to affect him, because out of everything, Zim was Dib’s first obsession. “What if you find him?” He asked then, looking back at the sky. His hand tightened around Dib’s, just slightly.

Dib’s eyes trailed over to Damien’s face, seeing the mixture of uncertain emotions. “If I find him, I find him. Look, Zim may be my first obsession but—“ He tore his hand away and reached up to pull Damien’s head down so he could kiss him. The two stayed like that for a moment, only the sound of the ocean waves breaking the silence between them. Dib was the first to break the kiss, but they didn’t move away, “Zim may be my first obsession but you’re my last.” He whispered.

Damien leaned forward again and kissed him a second time, his hand moving to cup Dib’s cheek.

They stayed like that for a moment, their eyes having shut. Still, the waves were rolling up on the shore and it was the only sound the two of them could hear. When Damien finally parted he looked back at the shore to check on Dakota, only to go still.

“Dib.”

Dib wished they could continue, sighing and looking to where Damien was staring at, also going still.

“That’s a—“

“Siren!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter features a character that belongs to Min, my bestie. She's paired with my other character, and they deserved a story.

Dakota was down below, waist-deep in the water and having a conversation with the siren. She looked beautiful, long hair that started off blonde and transitioned from green to blue, her skin and scales being a rather light shade of green while her breasts and fins took on a blue hue. Scatterings of blue freckles on her face that matched her eyes, and two fins where ears would normally be. She remained in the shallow end of the water, having a conversation with the girl.

Dib and Damien came down to the beach as fast as possible, and at the sight of them the siren froze and ducked into the water, and Dakota looked back. “No, no, it’s okay it’s okay, they’re with me.” She said kindly, kneeling down to take her hand. It felt unlike a human’s hand, almost rough.

The siren peeked out of the water, “You were the ones sitting on the cliff.”

“You can speak English?” Dib gasped, moving closer to Dakota.

“En-glish? This is our language.” The girl looked pensive at how close the two males had gotten to her, looking over at Damien and noting his glowing eyes. “I’ve never seen a human whose eyes glow like that. It’s creepy.”

Dib could hear Damien’s slight chuckle despite their previous conversation, the man cautiously moving closer. “You’re the real deal.”

She quirked her head to the side, confused, and Dakota only giggled and stopped Dib before he stepped closer. “Caine was just telling me about a boy she liked.”

Damien blinked, “Her name is Caine?”

“Is that a problem?” The siren responded hotly, “Stop staring at me.”

“It’s kinda hard not to.” He countered, “I mean, we never met a siren before.”

“I never met a human with glowing eyes.” Caine looked defensive, glaring slightly at Damien.

“Can we get back to what’s going on?” Dib brought the attention back to him and he sighed, “What boy?”

Dakota smiled a little, “She likes a human boy.”

“I think his dwelling is here, because I see him around every day. In the more populated area and sitting on some rocks.”

“What’s so special about this dude?” Damien questioned before Dakota smacked his chest, “Kota!”

Caine continued as if she wasn’t interrupted, “I’ve been wanting to talk to him, but he never enters the water. He just stares out into the ocean…”

“Are you the one entrancing humans and taking them away?” Damien asked, “Have you been eating them?”

Caine put a hand to her mouth, glaring at Damien, “No and I’m offended that you think that I’m the one doing it. I’m not the only one here you know.” She gestured to the ocean behind her, “None of you know how much is underneath the surface.”

“Calm down.” Dakota said in a calm voice, “Damien doesn’t mean anything by it,”

Damien folded his arms, “What does she want with a human boy then?”

It was then that Caine’s cheeks went a deeper shade of green, and she looked away, “H—he’s not a human.”

Dib quirked a brow, “What do you mean?”

“I mean he’s one of our people!” She said loudly, “He may look like a human but when he sings he sings _our_ songs. His singing lures people to him.”

The three of them looked at each other and back to her, “So he’s a siren.”

“I didn’t know sirens could be male.” Damien said thoughtfully.

“They’re rare.” Caine answered, “I have a brother…but he’s… _different_.” She didn’t wish to elaborate on how _different_ Abel was.

“She wants us to find him and deliver a message.” Dakota told them, “When the beach is full again, she wants him to find her somehow but there isn’t a way to get him alone unless everyone else would see her too.”

Dib nodded, “Tomorrow, we can do that.”

“I thought we were just here to see sirens, not play messenger.” Damien unfolded his arms, “How will we even know who to look for?”

Caine glowered at him, bringing her tail around to smack Damien fully in the chest. Damien cried out and lost his footing, falling into the water with a splash.

“I’m sure it won’t be that hard.” Dib said hesitantly, trying not to laugh. “I mean, if she knows what he looks like.”

* * *

Blonde hair, blue eyes. Young looking.

Damien scanned the beach the next day, seeing many blondes in the area, and like hell was he going to get up close to them to check their eyes.

“I don’t think we’ll find this boy.” He said doubtfully.

“I’m sure we can, she said he sings too, remember that. He’s supposed to be part siren.” Dakota sounded optimistic, meanwhile Dib looked tired, nursing an iced coffee in his hands.

“We can do better if we split up.” Dib suggested, looking over at Dakota, “One of us go east and the other goes west.”

“We can cover more ground that way.” Dakota agreed, “Okay I can go with Dib and Damien you can go the other way.”

As soon as Dakota suggested that Damien should go alone he had the image of Damien being surrounded by groups of people wanting his number. He blinked wildly and went over to grasp Damien’s hand, “I think Damien’s better off with me, we can go the other way.”

The sudden show of possessiveness made Dakota giggle, and Dib caught the impish smile on her face, “I see.” She said teasingly.

“Kota.” Damien pulled out his phone, looking unfazed by both of their behaviors. “If you see anything give me a call.”

Dakota took out her own phone and checked the reception, “Okay.” Her impish smile turned into a grin and she winked at them, “Don’t get distracted.”

Dib watched as Dakota hurried off while in the midst of a laugh, taking another sip of his iced coffee before Damien began to move, pulling him along. “Is she always that way?”

“What way?”

He thought for a moment, unable to find the word, “I can’t put a finger on it.”

“Yeah, she’s like that.” Damien said without skipping a beat, seeming to know what word Dib was trying to think of.

The two of them began to walk the length of the beach, scanning everyone who was there. “Try to keep an eye on the rocks.” Damien said, “She said something about rocks.”

“She said something about him being blonde and so far I’ve caught ten blonde people but they’re either not young or barely five.”

Damien had a feeling he could see better without his sunglasses but the thought of taking them off in this summer light was just asking for trouble. They kept watch, staying quiet while traversing the beach.

They were near a surf shack at the edge of the beach, and that’s when Dib began to hear something pretty. He stopped, his sudden halt bringing Damien to a standstill. When Damien opened his mouth Dib put his finger to his lips, listening further.

Damien could soon hear the pretty song, directing his eyes to the lone surf shack. There they could see them, or rather, _him_ , a young-looking boy wearing sky blue shorts and a simple white tank top, going about his business tending to the shack itself. Though, the one thing about him was that his short hair was very, very blonde, naturally so.

Dib couldn’t recognize the song he was singing, but he was pulled towards it anyway. He wondered if this was the fabled siren boy that they were told about. Damien pulled out his phone to send Dakota a text, the two of them approaching the shack. It was a simple open area shack with wide windows, the roof and support beams decorated in yellow grass. The boy was outside, tending to the surfboards that were on display, singing to himself as he set one of them upright. For a boy he was surprisingly strong to carry such a large board, Dib thought.

When the two of them approached the boy stopped, taking in the two of them and smiling, “Oh, hello.” His speaking voice sounded completely normal, almost light. The boy didn’t look older than fourteen.

“H-Hi.” Dib had to shake his head a little, feeling the alluring effect of the previous song leaving him.

“You two look new here.” The boy continued, stepping closer to them. “Out-of-towners?”

Damien nodded, lowering his sunglasses slightly so he could look at the boy better. As the siren had said, his eyes were a crystal clear blue. “Yeah, we’re from out of town.” He answered, pushing them back up. “I’m Damien.”

“Dib.”

The boy smiled, “Ellery. Have either of you thought about trying out surfing?” His smile was literally the sun, “We have people here who could teach you the ropes.”

“Uh…we’re not here for surfing.” Dib said hesitantly, though part of him felt like saying no to the kid would just devastate him. Was this part of the song’s lull?

Ellery didn’t seem all that bothered, “We also carry refreshments, coconut water, ice cream—“

“Ellery do you know anyone named Caine?” Damien came out and said it outright, not wanting to beat around the bush.

The boy put his finger to his chin in thought, “I…don't think so? There’s so many people who come here, aside from our regulars.”

“Do you swim?” Dib followed Damien’s lead, hoping this might go anywhere.

He shook his head, “I don’t go in the water.”

“Surely for someone running a surf shack I’d think you’d be able to surf.” Damien quipped.

Ellery blushed, “I…to be honest my boss hired me because I attract customers.” He looked nearly embarrassed to admit that, “I don’t know how to swim.”

Dib frowned. How could Caine know this boy if he didn’t dare go near the water? Did they have the right person? The longer Dib studied the boy the more he thought that he matched her description. “Well, there’s someone named Caine who would like to meet you.”

Damien looked over at Dib, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Dib whispered, glancing at the other.

“Why won’t Caine come here?” Ellery asked then, looking curious. “Whoever this person is I would assume she’s a beachgoer.”

“She’s a beachgoer.”

“Just not the type you’d think.” Damien grinned, “When do you close up shop?”

Ellery turned to look at the clock on the far wall, “I’m here until five, why?”

“Would you mind meeting Caine then?”

“That late…?”

“She’s shy.” Dib clarified, shrugging.

Ellery went quiet for a moment, “How do I know this isn’t a setup?”

Damien couldn’t help but laugh, “Kid, you’re too young for me and I have a boyfriend already.” He held up Dib’s hand.

Ellery went red, “I’m twenty!”

“You’re _twenty_?” Dib had to look him over twice, “You don’t even look eighteen.”

The boy looked frustrated, folding his arms. It was obvious that he was insecure about his age, or at least the way he looked. He turned his head and noticed one of the surf instructors returning with a customer. “I’ll be here after five.” He said then, “But if this is some kind of a scam I know how to break an arm.” Ellery ducked back into the shack after that.

Damien looked purely amused, “I can bench press that boy easily.”

“You can bench press _me_ , shut up.”

“¿Es eso un desafío?”

Dib shoved him so hard that Damien almost toppled over, pulling him along once he saw Dakota heading their way.

“Was it him?” Dakota asked it as soon as she was in front of them. Damien nodded.

“Caine likes a twink.” He said smoothly.

Dib rolled his eyes.

The rest of the day was spent in the secret part of the beach, and this time Dakota had brought floaties with her. After about a half-hour blowing them up she had gone out into the water with hers, loaning one to Dib. It actually was a nice relaxing moment in his life, laying on one of the doughnut floats and staring at the sky without a single care…until the voice in the back of his head told him that he would have to call his father eventually and give him the bad news. But, that could wait, couldn’t it? He was still on sick leave, he was having fun. His father could wait, he had enough time before the week was over. He wasn’t going to waste this week worrying about something while his mind could be more occupied with being near Damien. He smiled, seeing the man step up to the clifftop that his floatie was nearing under. Damien, his boyfriend. He had to repeat that word into his head for a few more times. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. This was his first-ever relationship, this was his first serious emotion. He still couldn’t believe that this man had been obsessively looking for him ever since he was a child. This one man made it his mission to follow _him_. No one in their life had even given enough effort to find him in a _grocery store_ than the entire country. No one had ever professed their feelings to him, no one had even compared him to the stars in the sky. Dib blushed just thinking about it, still staring up at Damien, who had looked down at him and waved, a grin slowly forming on his face. Dib smiled in return and waved back. He was head-over-heels for this person…this man…this _alien_. He was honest when he said that Damien was his last obsession, because nothing could ever tear him away from—

“CANNONBALL!”

Dib’s eyes widened as he saw the love of his life run off the cliff and curl up into a ball, and he realized in quick succession that he was right below the cliff. Dib let out a scream and tried to move away, only for Damien to hit the water so hard that Dib fell off his floatie with a resounding cry, the man flailing in the water for a moment before finding the floatie and hooking an arm around it. His hair was soaking, the scythe dripping over his own face as he watched Damien come back up to the surface with that shit-eating grin of his. Dib only scowled.

“I’m keeping a tally of your behavior for _later_ , you know.” He said warningly.

Damien swam next to him, close enough that the man could whisper in his ear, “Realmente no tengo miedo de tus castigos, haz conmigo lo que quieras.”

Dib went red and glared at him, not needing this kind of reaction when they were in eyesight of Damien’s _cousin_. He kept his stare on Damien, who only smiled innocently and paddled backwards towards the shore.

He was going to regret all of this later, Dib would make sure of it.

“It’s almost five!” Dakota called out to the two of them, and Dib finally began to swim back to the shore, picking up the floatie once he was able to step on land.

Damien pulled the hair tie from his hair and twisted it so he could wring out all of the water. “Who’s going to get him?” He asked.

“I was thinking one of you, I need to keep an eye out for Caine.” Dakota told them, “I told her to meet us back here before sunset.”

“I’ll do it.” Dib brushed his hair scythe out of his eyes, “Just don’t do anything stupid.” His eyes went onto Damien specifically, and the man grinned.

“What? Me?”

Dib didn’t answer that, putting on his sandals and making his way to the bushes. He realized quickly that without Damien or Dakota’s telekinesis that they were harder to part than usual, nearly getting stuck in between one of them before they seemingly opened up without resistance. Dib looked back to see Damien behind him, still grinning.

“I figured you need a way out.”

“Thanks.” Dib tried not to lose his footing, heading out towards the main beach. He knew Damien was right behind him, keeping up the rear. When he took a look at the beach he could see less people than before, and he smiled slightly. “Hopefully he’s still there.”

“Hopefully he didn’t think we’re weirdos.” Damien countered.

They made their way back to the surf shack, just in time to see Ellery walk out of it. Everything up front had been put inside, and he was locking the door all the while humming. He didn’t even notice Dib and Damien until he turned around, almost jumping at the sight of them. “Ah—you!” He felt a little nervous, “You…you’re actually here.” He looked hesitant.

“Yeah, didn’t we tell you, someone wanted to find you.”

“A girl, right?” Ellery tilted his head, curious.

“Yeah.” Dib smiled, “Uh, so, wanna follow us?”

Ellery still looked pensive, but nodded anyway. He had nothing else to do for a few hours, and if they were lying then he was fast enough to get away.

Damien grinned, “Great.” He led the way back, putting his hand to his face because he had forgotten his sunglasses. They headed west, back towards the bushes, and the more they walked towards that certain spot the more Ellery looked concerned.

“There’s nothing else here, how far are we going?” He asked, keeping a hold of his bag.

“Just past these bushes.” Dib said to him, stopping suddenly, “I know that sounds really sketchy but I promise, there’s a beach over there that no one goes to. We’re not trying anything funny.”

Ellery nodded quietly, fishing for anything sharp inside of his bag.

Damien parted the bushes easily, and Ellery looked hesitant to step inside, taking a deep breath and sighing, moving forward with unease. By the time they made it to the other side Ellery was introduced to a small part of a beach that was beautiful, a clifftop overlooking the ocean with the perfect view of the sunset. His eyes went wide at the sight, never knowing that this secret place existed. “Holy shit you weren’t leading me on.” His eyes then stopped to Dakota, seeing the girl smiling at him. “Y-you must be Caine.” He was shocked that this wasn’t a lie.

Dakota shook her head, “No, my name’s Dakota, I’m Damien’s cousin…Caine is over there.” She pointed towards the ocean, and Ellery’s eyes fell onto the head peeking out of the water, her hair floating all around her. He stilled at first, wondering why she was in the water before taking a few slow steps forward, trying to get a better look at her. He stopped at the edge of the beach, his eyebrows raising at the sight of a tail and fins, floating under the water with as much grace as a mythical creature had. “She’s a fish!” He cried out.

Damien burst out laughing and Caine glared at Damien, “Quiet you!” She shouted.

Ellery dropped to his knees, shrugging his bag off of him and crawling a bit beyond the edge, trying to get a closer look at her, “You’re Caine?”

The siren smiled, “Don’t you remember me?”

Ellery thought about it, shaking his head after a moment. “I woulda remembered a mermaid.”

“Siren.” Dakota clarified.

“Right.” The boy mumbled.

Caine crept up closer to the shore, close enough to lay down in the water while Ellery was on his hands and knees. The two stared at each other, and Caine was the first to break the silence.

“You fell in the ocean one day, someone kicked you off of the rock.” She began, “I saw you flailing and trying to swim, but you couldn’t. I went to save you, but you had passed out.”

Ellery thought back to that day, remembering how one of the kids he had to deal with had kicked him while he was singing up on the rocks, and everything was such a blur after that. The panic, the anxiety of knowing he was going to drown, the knowledge that no one was there to save him. He didn’t know what happened after that, but when he came to he was up on the shore, and the surfing instructor had been there to make sure he was okay. That’s how he got the job at the surf shack.

“I always wondered how I got back.” He mumbled.

“There’s something else.” Caine looked up at him, smiling, “When I got to you you were already underwater…but you were still breathing.”

Ellery blinked, “I was drowning?”

She shook her head, “No, no, nothing like that…you were just floating under there…and humans don’t float.”

Ellery finally shifted so that he was sitting, “B-but I can’t swim. I don’t know how—“

“There’s a lot you don’t know.” She said finally, “But I don’t mind staying here to tell you.”

Dib watched on as the two continued to talk, both of them having forgotten that they weren’t alone. He backed away and grabbed a floatie and his bag. “We should leave.” He said then.

“You’re just going to leave him here alone with a siren?” Damien hissed out, “What if he goes missing just like all the rest?”

“I don’t think that’ll happen.” Dib said, feeling certain.

Dakota went to take Damien’s wrist, “Let’s just go, this is a private moment.”

“But Kota—“

“He’ll be fine.” She said knowingly.

Damien looked hesitant, watching the two of them just sit there and talk. He didn’t want to leave and this boy be kidnapped or eaten, he wasn’t sure about this siren’s true intentions.

Dib stepped closer to Damien, putting his hand on the other’s shoulder, “Trust me.” He whispered.

The two words sank into Damien’s gut and he finally nodded, because he didn’t have any reason not to trust him. He finally stepped away, going for his things and helping them leave the beach area.

Ellery and Caine continued to talk until midnight, promising to meet again in this little area for the next night, and the night after that.

He lived alone, so it was perfectly fine.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know nothing about cars.
> 
> Research.

The drive back to Bycoast was quiet, on Dib’s end. He was alone in his own car without the radio or Damien’s voice to keep him company. Damien _was_ behind him, until they got off at the interstate when he decided to go 80 when the speed limit was 75. He was wondering if he’d see Damien’s car on the side of the road soon, having been pulled over for speeding, but he did not yet see that happen.

He chuckled to himself, imagining how Damien was doing. He probably had the radio turned up to max and singing his heart out while recklessly driving as if he was playing GTA. He wondered if he could somehow curb Damien’s driving behavior. He was already thinking of curbing his other behaviors, and he grinned slowly when he thought about how he would go about that.

No, now wasn’t the time to daydream. He had to focus on the road for now, and everything could wait until he got back to the apartment. Though despite his focus, he was feeling bold enough to take an extra step into their relationship with one question, and he hoped to get the answer he wanted because if he was untouched in that one area, Dib wanted to claim it for himself. He gripped the wheel for a moment, thinking about the alternative. If he was then he’d do it anyway, erase whoever was there before. He won’t be satisfied until Damien couldn’t even remember his previous encounters.

Part of him wondered if he was being too much, while the other part of him said he wasn’t being enough.

He also knew he had to unload everything from his storage unit, especially the files he had on Zim. If he was going to start looking for him again, he needed to refresh himself on the base. He thought about Damien, how he could probably get his boyfriend to help him with the search. Finding someone was easier with two people, wasn’t it? All he needed was the slightest hint of a lead, and they’d go from there. He thought back to the timeframe that Gaz had given him. He had at least four days left, which meant he was going to use all those four days into searching Zim’s base. Last time he had tried, he wasn’t able to get into the underground area, no matter what he did. Perhaps this time around, he could reactivate the computer and find his way inside. He knew he had the override codes, he just didn’t know where.

Though as he came across the exit to Bycoast his mind reverted back onto Damien, and he idly wondered if the man was home right about now. He had to be home if he had went over the speed limit, and through the whole two hours there was no red mustang on the side of the highway with an accompanying cop car. Dib still had the urge to work on that, Damien had a few behavioral problems that Dib wanted to take care of personally, but knowing his boyfriend, it would only create more behavioral problems because the man would _want_ to be punished.

Dib had a good idea on how Damien worked, it wasn’t all that hard to predict. Damien was wild, he did what he wanted and he liked to show off. For someone who was treated badly as a child he grew into a person that was confident and daring. Meanwhile Dib grew into a person that folded under the pressure of his father, someone who went under-the-radar and didn’t provoke others. He hated the person he grew up to become, and knew that if he hadn’t gone into that depression, he wouldn’t be so acquiescent. The introduction of Damien into his life had sparked a resurgence of his previous nature, the fanatical and neurotic side of him that he thought would never return. He actually missed being _himself_ , he felt alive and energized. He felt like he could do anything, take on anyone. He felt like he was _in control_. He liked being in control.

He wanted more than control…

Dib put that thought on hold, not wanting to get aroused on the way home. On the street that led to his apartment building he could see the faint red car in the parking lot, the beacon that was Damien’s presence in the apartment. He made his way to the parking lot, pulling up next to his car and staring at the vehicle for a moment. Damien said he rebuilt that car, which meant a part of _him_ was inside of it. His fingers twitched and Dib suddenly wanted to drive it, see how he handled such a speed demon, before pushing that thought behind the previous one. He wanted so many things, and part of him knew that he was going to get them. One way or another.

He left his own car, taking a look at the vehicle compared to Damien’s. His own car was a Smart ForTwo. It looked like Damien’s car could crush his own, and he doubt that his was fast or powerful as his boyfriend’s. He didn’t think anything more about it, turning away and heading into the building.

Dib found that Damien’s door was closed upon arriving to the hallway, going over to his own apartment and unlocking it, stepping in and seeing a nearly bare living room. Oh, he was going to get back his old things, wasn’t he? Dib checked his watch, looking back to Damien’s door. It was still early, and he figured he could use this as a good excuse to get one of the two things he wanted. He grinned to himself, turning from his apartment and over to Damien’s door, trying the handle. It wasn’t locked and he made his way in. “I’m back.”

“You’re finally here?” Damien was on the couch looking over his notes again, “I was here at least a half-hour ago, maybe an hour. I don’t remember.”

Dib didn’t answer that, looking along his apartment. “Hey I was wondering, I was going to get my stuff out of storage and my car is too tiny to carry most of it, would you mind if I borrowed yours?”

Damien grinned at the question, “I don’t know Dib, would you be able to handle it?”

“What do you mean?” Dib sputtered, “It’s just a bigger car.”

“It’s not just any car!” Damien looked offended at his statement, “This is the 1969 Mach 1 Cobra Jet. It has a 7.0-liter, 428 cubic-inch V8 that has 335 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque.”

Dib just stood there, as everything Damien was saying flew past him without any meaning. “Uh—so…”

“This thing goes from 0 to 60 in under 6 seconds.” Damien continued, “It’s my speed baby.”

That was the only thing that registered in his mind as something translatable. It was a _fast car_. “So can I use it or?”

Damien took his lanyard from the seat next to him and tossed the keys over to Dib, which shocked him mostly, that someone who cared so much about his car would hand his keys over without question. “Are you sure?” Dib questioned, looking at the keys, “I mean this is your baby—“

“You drive like like an old woman on a Sunday, I’m sure it’s perfectly fine in your hands.” Damien answered without skipping a beat.

A cold chill shot down his spine at the words, at the tone of voice that seemed to mock him. “Oh, alright.” Dib pulled on a wide smile, “I’ll be back.”

“I’ll be here.” Damien called out as Dib turned away and headed down the hall, oblivious to the gears turning in the man’s head.

Dib gripped the keys in his hand, heading back out to the car. He stopped before it, staring at the vehicle, then over at his own car. Again, his fingers twitched, and he went to Damien’s car without another second of hesitation.

Once he slid into the front seat he noticed the difference immediately. He literally sank in the seat, the faint scent of leather passing his senses. He ran a hand along the seat, realizing that yes, it was leather, not the stock polyester seating that his own car had. He ran his eyes over the dashboard, making out the classic radio, an old turn dial with a cassette deck, not the digital of a modern radio. Everything inside of this car was custom, from the paint job all the way to the knob on the shift. Every inch of this screamed Damien, and Dib had to wonder just how many hours he had spent building this back up, and how much money it had been. It was probably worth more than what Dib made in a year. He buckled himself in and shut the door, adjusting himself to the seat. He wasn’t too short but he wasn’t as tall as his boyfriend. Carefully he put the key into the ignition, though once he started it his eyebrows shot into his hair. He heard it start up before but being on the inside, it started up like he was awakening a beast from its slumber, the engine ready for whatever he would do to it. His fingers twitched again and he gripped the wheel with one hand and put himself into reverse, taking the utmost care into leaving the parking lot.

There was a stark contrast between driving his own car and Damien’s car. His own car was built for safety and efficiency, it wasn’t made to be anything but a vehicle of transportation. This, however, this was built for a lot more than transport. He could feel this car, as if it was alive and not just made out of metal. It wanted Dib to pick up the speed, it needed to go faster. Was this why Damien blatantly broke the law while he was behind the wheel? Was it his own want or this car’s want? Dib found himself wanting to risk his perfect driving record just to make the engine roar.

The small voice in the back of his mind told him that’s why he was here to begin with, because Damien assumed he drove like his grandmother. He felt the cold chill again, becoming aggravated at the very idea that Damien didn’t think Dib was adventurous. He snorted, they were complete opposites, but the one thing Damien didn’t realize was that when given the chance, he won’t hesitate to take it.

The storage shed was nearly to the next district and Dib turned off as the highway, thinking that now was the time to see what he could do. Anxiety flooded his person, fearing that the moment he went one mile over the speed limit that a cop car would appear from out of nowhere and hunt him down to arrest him and put the car into an impound lot. He had to take a breath, making quick glances around him.

“I’m not a grandma.” He said then, and pressed his foot further onto the gas.

* * *

When Dib finally pulled into the parking lot again, the car was full of boxes. The passenger seat, the backseats, the trunk were covered in everything Dib owned. He made sure to rev up the engine one last time before turning it off, sitting alone in silence afterward. His body was still tingling in excitement over what he had done and how fast he had gone, and the anxiety that he had at the beginning had dwindled away into careless abandon once he knew he wasn’t being followed. A smile twitched at his lips and he looked to his smart car, laughing suddenly because he knew that his own car would never make him feel so excited and reckless as Damien’s car had.

Part of him had to remind him that Damien was technically his, so that meant this car was also his as well. He couldn’t help but grin, not wanting this feeling to end. Quickly he got out of the car and began to unload his boxes, letting out a happy whistle as he began to fill his apartment up with his old things. The next few hours were spent setting everything up to how he wanted it, including the old computer towers that he had managed to keep. The OS probably needed to be updated terribly, but other than that his apartment now looked like someone else lived in it rather than the broken-spirited twenty-seven year old scientist that had no hope.

Dib looked out the window, seeing that the sun was setting. He wondered how Damien was doing right now, was he working or not. The excitement from before was still inside of him, and now that he had gotten one of the things he had wanted it was about time he had gotten the other. He took a moment to gather himself. If Damien was working then Dib knew a good way to interrupt that, but if he was asleep then he knew how to wake the other up. Besides, Dib had told him before he was taking count of Damien’s misbehavior, and it was about time to collect on the punishment.

He took Damien’s keys and left his own apartment, going across the hall and testing the doorknob, finding that it was locked. He smiled slightly, using Damien’s own key and making his way inside. He didn’t call out the other’s name, looking around and finding no one around. He quirked a brow, shutting the door after him and locking it, setting his keys on the coffee table before heading into his room. There he was, laying back on his bed, a tablet covering his chest as he slept on without disruption.

It was amazing how innocent someone could look when they were asleep, and Damien looked unlike the demon that he portrayed on a daily basis. Dib stood there watching him sleep for a few minutes before making his way over to him, taking the tablet from his chest and turning it on, reading from the notepad app it was currently in. It was a detailed log of the encounter with the siren, and Dib looked away after reading a few words, putting the tablet aside. Instead of getting on the bed he snooped around the room, finding a couple of belts. He studied them, looking back at the bed frame that one of his arms was under. He walked back over to the bed and knelt down onto the mattress, doing his best to make sure Damien wouldn’t wake. If it was anything like before then he wouldn’t be bothered, and with that thought in his mind he went about tying up his wrist to one of the bars. The only reaction from Damien was a slight groan and a turn of the head, otherwise he was still asleep.

Dib smiled, reaching for Damien’s other hand, the one on his chest, and slowly repositioning it so it was next to his other bound wrist, doing the same to that one. He checked on Damien’s movements again. It was impressive and funny to know that he was such a deep sleeper. Oh, he was going to have some fun with that.

Damien, meanwhile, was too deep into his dream, having run away from the castle with Dib in his arms, the two of them trying to outrun a clown that was after the two of them. They had eventually been separated, and now the clown was after him. Though, he could still hear Dib on his earpiece, and Damien had to leap across a canal underneath the castle’s walls to get outside. Though, as he moved he felt somewhat constricted, and when he looked back at his arms they were covered in vines.

_“Damien.”_

There was Dib’s voice, but it didn’t sound far away like it did before, nearly right next to him. He shook his head to the side, “Can’t see you.” He mumbled.

“Wake up.”

He felt the vines creep up his arms, though at the same time he felt something warm and heavy sit on his lap. He sighed, trying to move again. “Hold—“ When his eyes finally began to open he could see Dib, straddled over him, staring down at him in the background of a dimming light, his image nearly shadowed by the lack of illumination. He made a confused grunt, trying to move his arms, only to find that he couldn’t move them at all. “Wh—huh?”

“About time.” Dib mused, watching the other’s crimson eyes roam Dib’s person as the sleepiness began to wear off. The man grinned, “Fell asleep did you?”

Damien began to remember where he was, sighing and trying to move again, only to get resistance. “What’s going on?” He looked up, past the pillow, and noticed that his wrists were strapped to the bars. “Dib?”

“Is something wrong?” Dib asked, “You should expect this by now, given what happened last time.”

Oh. He looked back at Dib, his eyes roaming his person and tracing hints of clothing. “Well, you’ve done it. You have me, now what?” He grinned slowly, “¿Me vas a castigar?”

Dib sucked in a breath, oh, he figured Damien _would_ use _that_ language in _that_ voice. He held back the groan, “I told you not to use that.”

“Pero Dib, no estamos en público. Estamos en una habitación muy privada, lejos de miradas indiscretas, mi gatito.”

Dib knew what he was doing, Damien knew what it did to him. “Cállate.”

Damien smirked, “Why Dib, you seem a little…tense.” Even if the room was dark he could still make out Dib’s flushed skin. “Is it really that bad?” He teased, “Does me speaking Spanish really affect you that much?”

“See, this is why you’re tied down.” Dib argued, “Because you’re always pushing the line.”

He smirked, “At least I push mine, you never seem to go near yours.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Eres predecible.”

Dib went quiet for a moment, and finally got off of Damien, moving to unbuckle his pants and going about removing them. “I have a question.” He said after a moment of thought, “When you said you had seven sexual encounters, were any of those receiving?”

Damien quirked a brow curiously, “Never, why? I told you, it’s been my dick in someone’s ass, not the other way around.”

Dib went about removing Damien’s boxers, smiling. “That’s good to know.”

Damien had a feeling this was going somewhere, “W…why do you ask?”

“I ask because I had come to a realization.” Dib continued, getting over to the bedside table and finding the lube, tossing it onto the bed before taking off his own pants. “I realized that while I could erase your every encounter you had with just myself alone, I could also do the one thing that no one else hadn’t managed to do to you.” He climbed back up on the bed, “Something that I’ve never done before, and by this, we would be our first.” He reached for Damien’s cock without so much as a warning, beginning to stroke him. “Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Damien bit back a groan, his head falling back onto the pillows. Dib’s touch alone was able to get him erect quickly. “You want to fuck _me_?” He laughed somewhat breathlessly, “Jesus Christ Dib, I didn’t think you could—“

“Am I predictable now?” Dib leaned in and kissed him, still working on his boyfriend’s length. Damien’s eyes fell shut at the kiss, allowing Dib to lead it until the man moved away. Damien lamented the loss immediately, groaning. He felt his face become warm.

“I—you know what I meant—“

“Answer the question.” Dib’s grip tightened slightly and Damien’s hips bucked, and he instantly shook his head.

“No—no—but—do you really want to do this?” He was talking a little fast now, “Th-this is a really big step and you haven’t had any experience—“

“I would think that’s the point, we don’t have any experience.” He finally let go of Damien’s cock and settled lower on the bed, taking the lube to use it on his fingers before raising one of Damien’s legs. “You sound unsure, don’t tell me you’re afraid.” He couldn’t help but smirk.

Damien struggled to move, inhaling sharply at the intrusion of Dib’s finger and resigning himself to stare at the ceiling, “It’s not that I’m afraid—I just—I never—“ He was having trouble talking, “I never thought to—“

“Surely someone who doesn’t play by the rules wouldn’t mind changing their routine.” Dib continued, entering in a second finger.

Damien groaned despite his reservations, his thoughts coming at him at a hundred miles per second. This was really happening was it? This was happening. The tables had turned and now he was the one on the bottom—not like he wasn’t on the bottom before but in this situation—he never thought he’d be on the receiving end. He continued to voice his pleasure, unable to hold them back while Dib worked on stretching him. Part of him wondered if this was Dib’s way of paying him back for the teasing, and the other part of him knew that it was going to happen eventually at the rate they were going. Dib liked to be in control, of course he’d try this.

Dib rather liked being able to make Damien have a reaction in this form. He was completely helpless and at Dib’s mercy, and he could do just about anything. He kept his concentration, doing to him what he would normally do to himself. It wasn’t that different, and from the sounds Damien was making it seemed like the right way to go. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He mused, his free hand stroking himself.

Damien could feel him. Damien could _feel him_. His fingers somehow knew where to go and what to press and Damien couldn’t concentrate on words long enough to use them. “I—ye—maybe—“ He managed to get that out, but as soon as he was enjoying himself Dib had removed his fingers from Damien’s ass. His brain took a while to reboot, but just as it did he could feel something bigger than just fingers press against him, “Dib—“ Whatever he was going to say was lost when his boyfriend pushed into him. Damien winced and grit his teeth, the fuller feeling of being stretched out this much was painful.

Dib remembered his own first time perfectly well and how it felt, holding himself still for as long as Damien needed it. He kept his eyes on Damien’s, how they looked. When he saw that he was starting to relax he finally moved.

Damien didn’t know what he was feeling, the pain was dwindling after a while and revealing something else entirely, and whatever hesitation and resignation he had before this was being quickly replaced. Oh, this actually…felt _good_. Before he could catch it the pleasured sigh escaped his lips, and from that Dib knew how and when to move further. Damien’s head fell back again, and he groaned. “Th—this—“

Dib smiled, gripping the other’s hips. “It’s nice, isn’t it?”

Damien failed to answer, his words mixing together into a mumble of confused vowels and consonants. The reaction made his lover laugh slightly and Damien felt offended.

“¿Vas a seguir despacio abuela?”

Dib faltered, staring down at Damien, who only waited, giving him that shit-eating grin that Dib knew he had. He grunted and thrusted forward harshly, “What little verbal skills you mustered you decide to do that.” He said then.

“I’m waiting.” Damien was boldly teasing him, as always. He sighed and did another sharp thrust, making the other man cry out in reaction. Damien’s eyebrows were raised, the sharp thrust had felt better than the usual. “Again.”

Dib repeated the action, getting a whimper in return. He liked the reaction and repeated it again, going at a vigorous pace only to receive more delightful sounds coming from the man below him. He instantly knew what was going on, he had found that _one spot_. Dib made sure to reposition himself before starting to fuck him harder.

Damien cried out, his eyes going wide at the sudden intensity, “Dios mío, Dios mío.” He whimpered out, the English translator in his head short-circuiting the harder Dib began to go, “Por favor, oh dios, por favor más, sigue adelante, más por favor, oh Dios mío, a la mierda!”

The lapse into Spanish wasn’t helping Dib any and he was starting to lose himself, groaning and continuing at the pace he was giving. At this point he didn’t know if Damien was doing it on purpose or this was purely on accident, but either way it was _working_.

“Ay papi, por favor, necesito esto. ¡Realmente necesito esto, por favor! Oh madre de María, perdóname—“ Damien didn’t really know what he was saying anymore, the buildup to his release coming at a rapid succession. Dib only groaned in return, feeling himself losing it entirely. He was falling apart, thrusting into him only two more times before he felt himself unraveling completely. At the last sharp thrust Damien cried out, his whole body becoming tense as his own orgasm wracked through his body, and he felt his bones turn into jelly and the strength leave him immediately. He let out a needly little whine and his eyes shut, the man focusing on his breathing. This felt better than all the other times, he realized, but he couldn’t say that out loud.

Dib felt drained, but in a good way. He pulled himself out of Damien and moved to rest beside him, sighing. He loved being right, and if he had to admit, this was better than receiving. “Did I just fuck the English out of you?” He asked with a breathless laugh.

Damien didn’t answer, glancing at the other man. He was blushing, “I…”

“Hold on.” Dib sat up slightly, “You called me _papi._ ” He grinned slowly, and Damien looked away quickly.

“Shut up.” He mumbled, “Will you untie me now?”

Dib thought about it, leaning his head against the other’s shoulder, “When you’re good.”

There was a moment of silence, and Dib looked back at Damien, noting that his eyes were shut. He listened closely and he could hear the calm breathing, and he smiled. “I think my bed is just for show at this point.” He said to himself, untying Damien’s wrists and making himself comfortable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this, we enter the Zim arc.
> 
> Shit is gonna get serious.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're now in the Zim arc.
> 
> shit gets serious.

The two were tangled up in the bed by the time the sun began to rise, and Damien was the first to wake. He could feel someone’s hot breath on his cheek and he glanced over to see Dib sleeping next to him. He smiled slowly, though, the memory of the night before flooding his mind a second later. He began to blush, shifting away to cup his face in his hands. “I did that, did I?” He mumbled to himself, slowly sitting up. “I…” He let out a sigh, looking back at Dib’s sleeping form and finding no fault. Last night was actually nice, and part of him had a feeling that this wasn’t going to be the last time that Dib fucked him this way. He let out a light chuckle, “Looks can be deceiving.” He mused, getting up to make his way into the bathroom.

Dib woke up only fifteen minutes later, hearing the shower running in the bathroom next to the door. He felt the spot where Damien once was, glancing up at the pillow that was still imprinted from his head. He couldn’t help himself, pulling the pillow over to him so he could hug it, taking a good inhale of Damien’s scent. He could smell the cinnamon, and he buried his head in the pillow for a moment longer, not ready to wake up and face the day.

He had to go over his notes today, look through all of his files on Zim and refresh himself on the base before going over there to investigate. That meant he had to reboot his old computers and do a lifetime’s worth of updating on the OS. He groaned at the thought and sighed, if only he could just stay in this bed and not have to do anything.

There was pleasant whistling coming from the door and Dib peeked out from behind the pillow, watching as Damien walked in naked while drying his hair with the towel. He paused, looking over at Dib and grinning, “Gonna sleep there all day?”

“I wish.” Dib mumbled into the pillow.

The man paid him no mind, going to his dresser to fish out a change of clothes. “I’m going to start working on my commissions, technically I’m two days behind on my schedule. Do you have plans?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Dib finally rolled away from the pillow, slowly sitting up. “I have two towers that need heavy updating and possibly upgrades since I haven’t used them in twelve years. That requires me to do some work. All of my important information on Zim is in those hard drives, but I have hardcopies in some of the boxes I’ve brought back with me. There’s a lot of reading to do on my end.”

“Sounds like work.” Damien got on a pair of black jeans and a red shirt with some sort of writing on it, the man now pulling his hair into a messy bun.

“I might have to hack into some data mainframes into my dad’s satellites to get some outside information.”

“Now that’s something I can’t do.” Damien slipped on his slides, “I can build computers easily, almost anything, but ask me to do hacking or anything cyber related, I would most likely quit before I get started.” He laughed a little, and Dib smiled. At least, he thought, there was one thing that Damien wasn’t good at. He could build anything, but information gathering wasn’t his strong-suit.

Dib felt his ego preening from that thought, and he finally got out of bed and went to the shower. Damien watched him leave, mainly his ass, chuckling to himself and grabbing the towel, leaving the room to dump it in the laundry basket before sitting at his workshop.

When Dib was done cleaning up he headed back to the room to gather his clothes, putting them on between drying his hair. From there he left to his own apartment, going to his computer setup and starting them up for the first time in over a decade. He was used to running computers that were up-to-date and going back to the ones he had when he was a teenager, he realized how slow they were compared to the latest models. Oh well, he could easily extract everything and transfer them to his newer setup.

While he was installing every update that he needed to install, his attention went to the file folders that he had on hand, his hard copies just in case his computers became corrupted. Though, using the hard copies were going to take a little longer to sort through instead of looking it up on the computers themselves.

He set himself to work, and as time went by the file folders were separated into piles on the floor, from important to unneeded information that he didn’t have use for at the moment. Each folder contained nearly one hundred loose papers, some had notebooks that were filled from front to back in single-spaced small script with diagrams and doodles. One folder was dedicated to the language, while another was the diagrams of the universe Zim came from. Five others were filled with information that Dib had gotten from Zim, from Irken culture to dietary practices to customs and history. What he wanted was found at the bottom of the second box, two folders marked “Base”, containing command prompts and codes of input for the mainframe of Zim’s house, the most important one being the override codes. When he found that single paper he stared at it for minutes, wondering where this information was when he wanted it in the first place. When he thought back to it he realized that the override codes weren’t in his computers at the time, and they looked hand-written. Did he take these down and forget to transfer them to his computer? That sounded plausible, he had so much that he could have easily overlooked the one thing that could have saved him the first time.

He took the paper and stood up, wading through his collection to get to the door. Damien’s apartment was unlocked, the sound of cyberpunk music blasting whatever silence there would have been. Damien was elbow-deep in his first machine, soldering wires to circuit boards with everything he needed for the build within a good reach. Dib watched him for a second before looking for the stereo, finding it across the room and stopping the music.

Though, when the music stopped so did the engineer, the man looking up from his work as if he was brought out of a trance. He blinked, turning in his seat to see Dib in his living room. “What?”

“We need to go.” Dib told him, “Your car.” He found Damien’s keys and grabbed them.

“What do you mean? Where to?” He paused for a moment, “Takeout?”

Dib held up the paper, “I found something.”

Damien set down his soldering iron and unplugged it from the wall, watching the serious emotion that was settled on Dib’s face. He slowly got out of his chair, finding a white sheet to put over his machine. “Alright.”

Dib smiled, “I’m driving.”

* * *

Damien stared at the two-story teal house with a look of confusion. Out of everything in that cul-de-sac, that house looked abnormal. Large tubes had protruded from the sides and into other neighboring houses, strange looking flamingos sticking out of the overgrown lawn. The ungodly violet colored door that looked out of place, everything about the building screamed ‘alien’. He looked at Dib, dumbfounded. “And you say no one even fucking noticed him being an alien?”

Dib sighed, “His skin was even green.”

“The fuck.”

“He passed it off as a skin disease.” Dib explained, getting out of the car. “Come on.” He checked the paper he had, “I want to try something.”

Damien nodded, getting out of his car and following Dib towards the house. Once they made it to the fence Damien could finally make out the overgrown lawn gnomes, staring at them oddly. They looked lifeless amongst the tall grass. “Well, that’s not weird at all.” He said sarcastically.

Dib snorted, stepping further into the yard and managing to open the door. The inner workings of the house was dead, as lifeless as the gnomes, the screen cracked on the television and curious stains on the floor. When Damien looked above he could make out millions of wires overlapping the ceiling, humming silently as if in stasis. “Well it doesn’t _sound_ dead.” He said then.

“The first time I tried to get into the main computer I was threatened at gunpoint to leave, that was the last time I tried to get in, but with the codes I have here I can override the mainframe into my name. Zim had given them to me in case of an emergency and I forgot to transfer them into my computers and I guess they were lost in my files.”

Damien quirked a brow, looking over at Dib, and the man only looked away. “A lot was happening, okay?” Dib fell silent for a moment, holding up a finger, “Now whatever you do, stay quiet.” He cleared his throat, “Computer, sleep mode off!”

Damien could hear something whirr to life and suddenly the two were being threatened by weapons that appeared out of the ceiling. The engineer didn’t do anything, just yet, watching Dib and hoping he knew what he was doing.

_“Intruder alert! Instructions are to eliminate!”_

Dib took the paper in his hands and read it carefully, “Computer, Override code 57-Z-690000INV-DIB, to be implemented immediately.”

Damien waited patiently for the laser gun to go away and soon it raised up and returned to where it came from. What followed was a jingle, signaling a reboot of the system.

_“Override code complete. Welcome, Irken Invader Dib.”_

Dib grinned widely, “Finally!”

“So, where to now?” Damien looked around, searching for something important.

“Computer, take us to the control room.” Dib commanded, taking Damien’s hand and leading him to a certain spot. Without warning the floor began to lower, just the one circular spot they were standing on. Damien nearly lost his footing as it jerked downward, holding onto Dib and looking around with wide-eyes. They were descending into the depths of the entire base, something Dib has seen multiple times but for Damien it was his first, the man’s eyes darting from the heavy machinery to the monitors to everything else that was there.

“Mierda.” Damien whispered.

Dib smiled slightly at the sound of Damien’s awe, heading straight for the biggest terminal in the room. He looked along the keys, trying to remember what he had learned those twelve years ago. His Irken was a little rusty. “Computer?”

_“Yes?”_

“Bring up the last recorded security footage the day Zim had vanished.” He hoped the command was right.

_“Processing…”_

Damien was too busy stepping around the room and looking at all the machinery, in his own transfixed state of astonishment, but when he began to hear noises he turned around, his eyes now on the large monitor in the center. On it was the footage of the Irken that Dib had been obsessed with once upon a time, sitting on the couch next to a small robot. “That’s Zim?”

Dib nodded, not answering him directly. His eyes were primarily focused on what was in front of him, the stationary Irken that wasn’t doing much of anything other than watching the television next to his robot. Dib rolled his eyes, “Fast forward.” He said then.

The footage began to pick up speed, showing most of the same thing until something happened, the security system had activated and Zim leapt out of the seat, screaming at Gir. The robot went into attack mode and charged outside, but only seconds later the robot came crashing into the room through the window, his head ripped from his body and all of his systems offline. Zim screamed something, heading to the window and ordering something but in the midst of his words another item came crashing into the other window, a canister of some sort. Smoke exploded into the room and nothing was visible, but it was clear that something was happening. When the smoke cleared Zim was on the floor while men in black coats were holding him down, one of them slipping alien sleep cuffs onto him before he could activate his pack.

It wasn’t the image of the ambush that had Dib’s head reeling, but it was who came into the house next while they restrained the dazed alien.

Damien’s eyes went wide. “Agent Darkbootie?”

Dib’s jaw dropped, there the old man was, only twelve years younger, watching as his other agents transported the alien out of the house.

“Stop!” Dib cried out, and the video footage froze still, lingering on Agent Darkbootie’s face. “That fucking ASSHOLE!” He slammed his fists onto the console, but it was Damien that was stunned into silence.

“That—that can’t be him—“

“It’s him!” Dib shouted, “It’s him and he’s the reason Zim vanished. I should have known, it was bound to happen with all the information I was giving them. He decided to take matters into his own hands—and I was never contacted!” He turned to Damien, “That man you idolize so much isn’t someone to be trusted.”

Damien paused for a moment, his eyes trailing over to Dib’s face. “When you left—I wanted to look for you, but Agent Darkbootie was against it. He told me to stop searching, at every chance I was attempting, he was doing his best to keep me from finding you.”

Dib’s eye twitched, “Really.”

The man faltered, “The only reason I was able to find you was because I went outside the organization, I asked people who retired out of the Network. They weren’t linked to him anymore and they were able to help me.”

The longer Damien had talked the more Dib could feel himself shaking. “Son of a BITCH!” He whirled around and kicked the console, infuriated.

_“Hey!”_ Shouted the computer.

“Sorry!” Dib bit out, turning to Damien again. “We have to get him back. If I know Agent Darkbootie then he probably has him locked up and…” He paused, “It’s been twelve years, whatever’s left of him might still be there.”

“If it’s been twelve years then he could be dead.” Damien reached out and grabbed his shoulders, “They could have dissected him ten years ago.”

Dib pulled away, “No, if I know him, then they’re going to keep Zim alive as long as possible. He’s still alive…I just don’t know where.”

Damien frowned, “I know where.” He took out his phone.

“Where?” Dib asked, desperate. “I’ll do what I have to.”

“Agent Darkbootie gave me the location of their Eastern base of operations, it’s like fifteen miles out of the city. He invited me to go there one day but I could never take on the offer because I was so busy in New Mexico.” He showed Dib his phone, the GPS coordinates of the area he was speaking about. “He might be there, and that’s only if he’s still alive.”

Dib took the phone and stared at the coordinates. “Let’s go right now—“

“The only one who can get in there is me, Dib.” Damien frowned, “You’ve been out of the Network too long, you’re technically on the bottom of the totem pole. I’m a high ranking member, I have clearance.”

“I’m sure you can take me with you—“

“If I take you with me you’re going to have to stay in the parking lot, no one else is allowed in unless they’re of the desired rank.”

“Then I’ll wait in the parking lot.” Dib looked desperate, “Damien, _please_. If he’s still alive then he was probably waiting for me for twelve years. He _knows_ I used to be a member of the Swollen Eyeballs. Who knows what he’s been thinking.”

“That is, if he’s still thinking at all.”

* * *

Darkness, it was the only thing he knew, inky black darkness. To rival that he also knew the blinding white lights when he was normally transported, but when they had no need for him he returned to that same darkness. He was in a cell, with just the bare minimum to keep him alive. They fed him like he was a pet, some kind of extraterrestrial pet that they wanted to keep and study. He didn’t know why he was still alive, they had studied more than enough.

He wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for _Him_. That person that he used to call a friend, someone he thought he could trust who turned out to be full of lies and deceit, who sold him out to his own organization and was probably laughing at him while he was ambushed. He was still waiting to see that person, that big-headed _traitor_. Irkens had words for people like _Him_ , and those words usually preceded the word death. What he expected was to see _Him_ again, to hear _Him_ gloat and make fun of Zim for actually getting himself caught. Yet, he still hadn’t seen _Him_. _He_ hadn’t made any appearance for the past twelve years. It felt like a slap in the face on top of being thrown into this hell. _He_ was too good to face his nemesis, or _He_ was taunting him somewhere where the Irken couldn’t see.

They had disabled his pack, which rendered him useless to free himself. Though he knew how to murder someone without the need of his extensions, _they_ were one step ahead. When they needed him, he was instantly sedated. They were forced to do this after he slaughtered one of their own. They learned their lesson the first time, which was a pity. When he wasn’t sedated he was stuck in this cell. This lonely and desolate cell that they had provided him with. It was a wonder with all of the autopsies he had gone though that he wasn’t dead yet, but they manage to do everything without killing him, managing to take what they need without ending his life. He considered ending it all by himself years ago, but he had his pride. He wasn’t going to do any of that. He wanted to wait for the perfect moment where he could exact his revenge. All he needed was a moment of weakness.

Twelve years was a long wait for revenge. Though, the goal was worth it.

He would make Dib regret ever betraying him.


	12. Chapter 12

Dib didn’t want to waste any time in finding Zim, and at his behest Damien had started the drive towards the facility. He still wasn’t sure that Zim would be alive. Twelve years was a long time to hold someone captive. Would he really be there, that was also the question. What if he was alive, but they had moved him to another facility? There were three of them in the United States alone. They could have shipped him off to Russia for all he knew! Damien sighed, glancing over to his boyfriend, who was staring intently at the map on Damien’s phone as their car got closer to the destination. He couldn’t tell Dib no, he thought, this meant so much to him.

Though, Damien wasn’t as optimistic as he was.

All he would have to do is get in there and look for him. If he found the alien, then he would break him out of there. There wasn’t any room to plan for anything other than that. Everything he would have to do inside the facility would have to be on the fly, and thankfully he had his telekinesis to help him if things got tough, though he didn’t really think it would get to that level of alarm. He glanced at Dib again, frowning. They needed a backup plan just in case, because he had to cover _all_ of his bases.

“I’m going in there, you’re staying in the car.”

Dib wasn’t sure of being held back. “I need to go with you.”

“I told you before, you can’t.” Damien stressed. “This is a solo mission.”

“You’re a fucking Meekrob!” Dib shouted, “What if they discover what you really are? Do you think they’re literally going to let you leave? You’re still an alien!”

Damien pulled on a reassuring smile. “No one suspects a thing about my heritage, Dib. My eyes are contacts, remember?”

“They’re glowing.” Dib said flatly.

“Specialized contacts.” He quipped. “I wouldn’t worry, I’ve been good at keeping this a secret.”

“If you kept your telekinesis a secret then I wouldn’t be worried, but that itself is like a sign.” Dib looked worried, staring at Damien. “If I can’t go with you then what will happen if you get caught?”

“If I get caught…then I’m in trouble, am I?” Damien was still smiling, his eyes catching Dib’s annoyed scowl. “Calm down calm down. Uh…if anything bad happens then get Dakota and Matthew.”

Dib nodded, “I can do that.” He looked down at the map and then back out the window, seeing a building that looked almost like a government facility, but it wasn’t in the slightest. “For your sake I hope things go easy.”

Damien grinned at him, “With my charm and charisma I can get myself out of anything.”

“Take this seriously, please.” Dib stressed, staring at the barbed wire fencing all around the building. “How are we going to get in?” He could see the entrance, the gate that had a security building at the front.

Damien stopped his car near the fence, leaving the keys in the ignition and getting out. He took out his wallet and removed a key card that had his photo and identification on it.

Dib was about to join him but Damien held his hand out to tell him to stay. With hesitation, Dib didn’t move, staying settled in Damien’s car with the engineer’s phone in his hand.

Damien turned to him and gave Dib a wink, making his way forward to the security building. Dib watched as the man began to talk with one of the security people before being allowed inside. When the same security guard looked over to the car Dib sunk himself deep into the seat as to not be seen.

“I hope everything doesn’t turn to shit.” The man whispered mostly to himself.

* * *

Damien patiently waited in the reception area, having been instructed to by the one security guard. After a few minutes the doors to the inner facility opened and he was joined by a man that looked like a scientist, with short blonde hair and brown eyes. “Excuse us Agent Runestone, we weren’t expecting anyone to visit during after-hours. I’m the only one running the facility right now, you may call me Agent Twilight. I’m the head scientist.”

Damien reached out to shake the man’s hand. “I would have visited during the daytime but I’m so busy during then, forgive my timing.”

“No, no, it’s okay.” Agent Twilight smiled, “I’m lucky to be the one that gets to meet you in person. Agent Darkbootie talks about you constantly.”

“He does?” Damien looked amused, “I hope it’s nothing bad.”

“Oh, he just praises you on your findings, he puts you as an example to our Junior members.” The man began to walk forward, “Come with me, I’ll give you a tour.”

Damien grinned, following the man. “I came here actually because I heard a rumor around the Swollen Eyeballs that you guys have caught an alien. As someone who’s never met one before I’m very curious.”

Agent Twilight’s eyes brightened, “Ah, I guess nothing stays secret here do they?” He chuckled, “The rumors are true, Agent Runestone, we do have an alien here.”

The engineer nodded, looking around the halls of the facility. So far it looked like a normal building. “I’d like to see them if you don’t mind.” He said casually, as if it wasn’t important at all and just a regular day.

The other man nodded, “You’re lucky to be a high enough member to get the chance to see it. We’ve caught the alien twelve years ago, he was just hiding among the humans!” He grinned, “We wouldn’t have had him if it weren’t for Agent Darkbootie.”

Damien quirked a brow in curiosity, “What did he do?”

“Oh, there was a Junior member that kept going on and on about an alien in his city, actually he lives near here, I don’t remember where. Well, Agent Darkbootie wanted to investigate further and when he saw what the kid was rambling about he decided to bring the alien in for testing.”

“Who was the Junior member?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged, “Some kid, he left after a while. I don’t really remember his name.”

The two of them walked into an elevator that was only opened by a key card, and Damien kept his eyes on Agent Twilight’s key card, remembering where the other man put it after the doors had opened. The blonde scientist looked like he was in the presence of a legend. Everyone knew about Agent Runestone, he was just too good not to be looked over. “So have you gone ghost hunting lately?” The man asked, curious.

“Ah, I’ve been ghost hunting with my boyfriend…” Damien looked amused, and when they reached the lower level the two started walking again.

“Boyfriend?” The man frowned, “Oh…well…was it good?” For a moment he looked dejected before he bounced back as if nothing had ever happened.

Damien smiled, “It was good, I met some ghosts, got chased by the cops, all-in-all a fun night.”

The man laughed lightly, taking the other down another hallway, towards a room on the end. Damien made sure to remember the layout, keeping himself calm and collected.

“So this room is where we keep the alien.” Agent Twilight stopped at the door, going over to one of the windows.

* * *

Inside the room Zim saw the shadows under the cell door, his eyes flickering to the window next to it to see an unfamiliar human. He never saw a human with red eyes before, but if he was there then this must mean it was time for another experiment. He didn’t trust any of these humans here, all they cared about was finding new information. He watched as the unfamiliar human kept up a conversation with the blonde scientist, the one who was kind enough to give him extra food overnight. When the other man looked into the window the room’s lights turned on, the blinding white of the fluorescent lights blinding him for a moment before he could focus again.

The lights meant they were coming in, and so he checked the air vents, where the gas would leak through. Though, there wasn’t any.

His eyes went back to the human in the window, catching his face, and the glint in his eyes before he reached out towards the scientist and said something. What happened next was too quick, the scientist was suddenly sent back flying into the far wall so hard that he collapsed and the human went to steal the key card from his pocket.

Zim went into defensive mode, watching as the cell door opened and the human walked in. “Zim?” Came his voice.

No one hasn’t ever said his name in this place, not ever.

Damien waited for a response, and the alien stepped back.

“What do you want?” The Irken hissed out.

Damien checked on the door again, “It’s a long story, but my name’s Damien and I’m here to get you out.”

Zim’s antennae perked in interest, his eyes staring at the human. “Out?”

Damien snapped his fingers, “Either you’re coming yourself or I’m carrying you, choose one.”

This was his chance! Zim nodded quickly, following Damien to the door. His eyes fell onto the unconscious scientist and he kicked the other’s side. Damien only rolled his eyes at the sight and reached forward, grasping the other’s arm and hurrying him down the hallway.

“Just who are you?” Zim demanded, and Damien only chuckled.

“Consider me the boyfriend of someone you know. I’ll explain when we get out of here.”

“Eh?” Zim wanted to know more, but he was met with silence. When they got to the elevator Damien used the scientist’s key card, dragging Zim into the small enclosure.

A cold chill went down Zim’s spine at the knowledge he was in such a cramped area. He reached out to cling to Damien, his claws digging into the other’s skin. Damien endured it for the length of the ride, wincing. “We’re almost there.” He said reassuringly.

The elevator then shuddered, and Zim cried out. Damien felt the claws pierce into his skin and he yelled. Overhead the lights were becoming red and there was a siren blaring. “Mierda!”

When the elevator opened Damien found that he was on the wrong floor and he cursed again, “We need to find another way out.” He shouted over the blaring sirens.

Zim let go of his legs and Damien began moving, the two of them running down the hallway. Damien was looking for a certain door. They wouldn’t make elevators without emergency stairwells, and that’s what he was looking for. “God damnit!”

The two turned a corner but before they could make their way down the hallway four heavily armed security guards burst through the door. Zim narrowed his eyes, “I’m not going down that easy!” He screeched, but before he could attack one the two in front of them were blasted down the hall. Zim’s eyes widened and he looked up at Damien, watching his arm recoil. His eyes were glowing in the red light they were bathing in. “W-what are you?”

“Long story, not now—AH!” Something struck into Damien’s back and suddenly he was being electrocuted. He collapsed to the floor, starting to scream. Zim turned around to see another guard having shot the man with a stun gun. He hissed out dangerously and attacked the human, and if the security guard wasn’t so heavily armored then he would have been maimed. The man scowled and slammed his elbow into Zim’s face, the smaller Irken reeling back.

Zim poised himself to try again but something jammed into his back, sending the same electric shocks to him like it did to Damien. Zim screeched, collapsing next to the engineer, the security guard behind Zim breathing heavily, “Get Agent Darkbootie.”

* * *

Dib managed to get into the driver’s seat and peel out of the area once the sirens went off, hiding the car into some bushes and keeping his eyes on the facility. Fifteen minutes had passed and soon the sirens had shut off, and a wave of dread sank into Dib’s stomach. Sirens were never a good thing, this meant Damien had been caught. He cursed quietly, keeping his eyes on the facility and looking for any signs that he could be wrong, but only a half-hour later another car approached the gates, whoever was inside spoke to the security guard at the door and made his way in. Dib watched on as the car went further into the gates, stopping in the parking lot.

When Agent Darkbootie appeared from the front door Dib felt a cold chill go down his spine. “Oh no.”

He pulled out of his hiding place quickly, shoving his foot onto the gas and hurrying back to the interstate. He needed to get to New Haven.

* * *

The pain in his body subsided as soon as Damien came to, and as his consciousness came back he found that he couldn’t move. “Nh…” He tried to roll his head but there was something making it impossible, his eyes opening. “Whu—“

He was inside a room, a white room with a single desk. He was tied to the chair, both his arms and legs restrained. He did his best to move them, but there wasn’t anything he could do. He winced, trying to use his telekinesis to part his restraints only to find that it wasn’t working. At. All. “What’s going on here?” He cried out.

The lights shut off then, and Damien was sent into darkness, only his eyes glowing. He could see the light coming from the door, the one-way mirror exposing someone he knew all too well. Or at least, someone he thought he knew.

“Agent Darkbootie.” Damien ground out.

The man in question smiled, heading to the door and making his way into the room. “Never thought I would see you here.” Said the man, chuckling. “Ever since I gave out that invitation you had shown no interest in coming here, and then I wake up to a phone-call telling me that Agent Runestone was inside the facility, trying to break out the alien.”

Damien glared at him, “Don’t play stupid.”

“Oh, why would I play stupid, I saw how chummy you were with Agent Mothman at the convention. I heard the rumors… though I didn’t think I’d find you coming here to help him get his alien back, especially when he already has a suitable replacement.”

Damien’s glare faltered and he just stared at the other man, who didn’t bat an eyelash, “What? You think I don’t know? Do you assume me to be an idiot like the rest of the human population? Why, your telekinesis, your eye color, the way they glow—“

“They’re contacts!” Damien shouted.

Darkbootie laughed, “No they’re not. I may be old but my mind hasn’t begun to slip. You’re never seen with any other color than red, your identification even depicts the same.” When Damien opened his mouth Darkbootie met him with a challenging look, “Do I need to request for you to take them off? Because we both know you can’t do that.”

Damien groaned, yep, Dib was right. “What are you going to do, then? You can’t just keep me here.”

“You’re wrong, because I can.” The older man smiled, “We’re known to clean up after our trails, though considering that you’ve met Mothman, we haven’t cleaned enough. Who told you where he was?”

Damien didn’t answer right away, and the older man only stared at him thoughtfully, “No matter, you’re here now.”

“You were planning on this ever since you invited me here, were you?” Damien asked then, watching the older man grin.

“Like I said before, I thought I’d never see you step foot in here, but I guess I have Agent Mothman to thank for not only one, but two aliens in the Swollen Eyeball’s care.”

Dib wasn’t going to let them keep Damien, and he knew that personally. Damien said nothing, however, not wanting to alert them of anything. “I’m not going to make this easy on you.”

“Oh Damien, when have you been easy? That Irken in there isn’t easy as well, so that’s why we have things like this.” Darkbootie removed something from his pocket, a syringe that was capped for protection.

Damien grit his teeth, trying his hardest to use his ability but nothing was happening, the syringe didn’t even leave the man’s fingers. “How did you—“

The man tapped his neck, “Special inhibitor collar, I had that created with you in mind and I’m glad to say that it works!” He rounded the table while uncapping the syringe, giving the barrel a few taps. “I hope you said your goodbyes to that poor boy, he was just so devastated when his first alien was taken away, imagine how he’d be when you don’t return.”

With that the man stuck the syringe in Damien’s arm, pushing in the translucent liquid until the barrel was empty. Damien tried to move, yet again, trying to fight the effects of the drug until he was too tired to do it anymore, slumping over.

The older man tossed the syringe aside, looking back at the blonde scientist that had entered the room, “Ah, I think we should put him with the other alien. See how they interact.”

“Do you think that’s a wise idea, given what happened before?” The man looked hesitant, but Darkbootie wasn’t bothered at all.

“I want to study the interactions, we have yet to know how the alien does with others. Don’t worry about them, they won’t be leaving.”

The young scientist only scratched his head, “If you say so.” He left the room after that.

“Lucky for that alien.” Darkbootie said to himself, “I was three weeks away from terminating the project.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here's where you see the truth in the lies.

It was something about this car that make him invisible to police, even if he was pushing 85 down the highway at 2AM in the morning. Was this the reason Damien had never gotten a ticket? He didn’t have time to ponder that right now, finding the offramp for New Haven and trying to remember Damien’s directions to find Dakota’s house. The only thing on his mind was Agent Darkbootie. He had Damien, and he also had Zim. He was the reason that Dib had gotten himself into such a depressive episode, and he’d be damned if he’d allow the man to take Damien away from him. No one was going to take him away from Dib, not even the Swollen Eyeballs.

Dib reached the suburbs without little trouble, finding Dakota’s house quickly and swerving into the parking lot. How was he going to do this? He got out of the front seat and took a stride over to the front door, ringing the doorbell once and waiting, until two seconds went by and he began ringing the doorbell every fraction of a second until the lights inside the house came on. He continued to ring it, hearing someone’s loud growling as someone stormed to the front door and only stopped when Matthew threw open the door, “WHAT?” He screamed, only coming to a realization that Dib was standing there, “Wh—what are you doing here?”

“It’s an emergency!” Dib shoved his way into the house, looking for Dakota. “Where’s Dakota?”

“Wait wait whoa whoa whoa, what’s an emergency?” Matthew followed Dib, who was bounding up the stairs and going to the only room that had a light on. When he walked in Dakota let out a cry, shutting her robe quickly and Dib backed out.

“Sorry!”

Matthew was becoming angry, “Did you just come here from Bycoast to peek on my wife?” He shouted.

“No!” Dib held up his hands, “This is an emergency!” His attention turned to Dakota as soon as she walked out, the woman looking concerned. “Damien’s been captured.”

Dakota blinked, “Captured?”

“The Swollen Eyeballs, they have him.” He explained, “WeweretryingtofindZimandwediscoveredAgentDarkbootiehadZimandwewenttothefacilityandDamienwascapturedand—“

Dakota took a hold of Dib’s shoulders. “Calm down…breathe.” She waited until Dib did just as she said, “Repeat this to me, but slower.”

Dib looked from Dakota and Matthew and back to Dakota, beginning to explain what they were doing, looking for Zim at his base, seeing the security footage, their trip to the facility and Damien’s insistence on going in alone. As he explained the three of them moved down into the kitchen, where Matthew was brewing some coffee.

“So what you’re telling me is, they probably know he’s an alien.” Matthew poured Dib a cup and delivered it to him.

“He’s been carrying signs that he doesn’t hide. Like his telekinesis, he shows it off to anyone.” Dib moaned, taking a drink.

“That’s been Damien ever since Jr. High.” Dakota explained, “He was desperate for friends so he began using it as an ice-breaker. Everyone thought it was cool.” She nursed her own coffee, frowning. “I told him it wouldn’t be okay in the long run but he told me that it’d be fine. Meanwhile I kept myself low profile, I was actually discouraged to use mine, I was…treated like an experiment.” She looked bothered as she said it, and Matthew went to her to rub her shoulders.

Dib pinched the bridge of his nose, “When he first met me he told me about them right away.”

“Coupled with those eyes of his of course he’d be a living target.” Matthew told him, going back to his seat. “Dib, you probably think Damien is one of those guys who are more confident than a bag of dicks and doesn’t care about anything, but in reality he’s the most insecure man I’ve ever seen.”

Dib looked over at him, “Huh?”

“He does his best to play off like he doesn’t care, but in reality he does. He’s been trying all his life to have people like him that he makes the wrong decisions most of the time. He thinks that if he’s wild enough then people will think he’s cool. Hell, he began wearing that god awful color combination to attract attention.”

Dakota nodded, “Then when it comes to you, it’s…” She paused for a moment, looking Dib directly in the eyes, “He’s worked his ass off to be so high in that organization just so he could get clues to find _you_. To be honest, he’s practically a stalker.”

Dib looked down at his coffee, blushing. Everything Damien has been doing was for _him_. “He’s been after me since the beginning.”

“I doubt that him finding your apartment was happenstance like he said it was.” Dakota said then, “Now I don’t mean he’s someone that’s going to sneak into your apartment every night to steal the hair on your brush, he just doesn’t understand his emotions. When he loves someone all the logic goes out the window. He also becomes blind to someone’s faults. Bad signs can be seen as love to him…with that said, please tell me you’re not taking advantage of him.”

The room went silent and Dib could feel the drilling stares from both Dakota and Matthew. “Nothing I do is without his consent.”

“Dib, everything you do will be with his consent.” Matthew folded his arms, “We’re asking if you’re treating him right.”

Dib thought back to his possessive and controlling nature, the fact that he copied the man’s key, his thoughts of killing others who would try to take Damien from him.

Despite his problems one thing was constant, he loved and respected him.

“Of course I am.” He said then, “I love him.”

Dakota and Matthew relaxed at the admission.

“So now this idiot has gotten himself into trouble and now we have to save him, huh?” Matthew grinned slightly, “I had a feeling something would happen at the rate he was going.”

Dakota stood up, “I’m going to go change, Matthew, get the equipment.”

Dib watched as Matthew stood up and Dakota left the room, also getting to his feet. “Equipment? What for?”

“Dib, I’m a doomsday prepper. I have tools handy for when shit hits the fan.” Matthew smiled widely, “Follow me.” He motioned for Dib to follow, and the man did, walking behind Matthew to a door that led to the basement. From there Dib could see a decked out room that looked like a dream for someone who met the apocalypse. A large rack full of guns, all kinds of guns, a cabinet full of shotguns of varying sizes and calibers. A rifle loading machine and multiple other equipment like kevlar vests and gas masks, helmets, and actual doomsday prep items like a cabinet full of dehydrated food, tactical backpacks, etc.

Matthew grabbed one of the backpacks and set it on a table in the center. “What we’re going to need are two-way radios, kevlar vests, flashlights, restraining equipment, gas masks, I have with me some stun guns and tasers and for those who get dangerous some hunting knives that can slice through flesh like a slab of butter.”

Dib blinked, “W-will we need all of this?” He thought about it for a moment, and remembered the security guards. “Yes we’ll need all of this.”

Matthew smiled, “Great, grab whatever you need.”

Dib turned towards the equipment, finding a large hunting knife.

He thought about running it through Agent Darkbootie’s throat, and smiled.

* * *

Zim had been staring at the sleeping human ever since he was thrown into the cell with him. Though, he wasn’t a human, was he? He was an alien. It explained why his eyes glowed, or the fact that he could do so much without touching them. No human had red eyes, he checked.

Yet he looked so human, was he a hybrid of some sort? What was he a hybrid of? What species of alien was this? He was curious and he wanted to know more. Though, the one thing that kept going through his mind was that the human…Da-mi-en, came here to break him out of there. He came _here_ to rescue Zim. In all twelve years no one had ever risked themselves to break him out of this prison, and yet this one person did. The thought itself made a pool of warmth settle in his squeedily spooch. He’d gotten so close too…

Zim kept his distance, but at the same time he wanted to get closer and inspect the other, try to wake him up. He had so many questions, and he wanted them answered. He felt like he had the right to know, as the man came here for _him_. That meant he earned that knowledge, it was rightfully his. If this man came here for Zim then it only sounded logical that he owed everything he had to Zim.

He finally decided to move forward, inching himself closer and taking in his appearance. The black hair, the dark skin, the rise and fall of his chest and the way his eyes were darting around under their lids. He then saw the collar around the man’s neck. Reaching forward to touch it only to get an electric shock. The man didn’t have this on when he came in, was it an inhibitor of some sort? He wondered what else this man was. If he was posing as a human surely he would have a role in society, or did he come here like Zim did? Was this form possibly a disguise? Zim studied further, feeling the hair and tugging on it slightly, finding that it was firmly held in place by the scalp.

When he did that Damien winced, and Zim let go and went to his face, staring at the nose. Without a thought he reached forward to pinch the man’s nose, holding it shut. That in itself seemed to rouse the alien under him, and Damien began to wake, remembering that he can breathe through his mouth and gasping for air. His eyes opened, glowing crimson eyes that Zim found himself caught in. He let go of his nose and placed his hands on the other’s cheeks, staring intently at the eyes.

Damien blinked, and Zim smacked him. “Don’t do that.”

“Uh…” Damien finally moved, sitting up. Zim lost his chance to study them further and looked put out, watching the man sit and look at his surroundings.

Damien looked over at the windows. No one was there but a security guard stationed with his back to the wall. He sighed, running his hands through his hair and frowning. He really fucked it all up, didn’t he? “Kota was right.” He mumbled to himself, folding his legs so he could place his face in his hands. None of this wouldn’t have happened if he just kept his abilities a secret. This was all a trap, all of it, the longest game one has ever played. He trusted Agent Darkbootie, and the man just screwed him over. Though, it was Damien’s own fault. If he didn’t flaunt his abilities then maybe the man wouldn’t have have a second thought. He felt like he was back in Peru again. Hijo de satanás. Hijo de satanás. He let out a groan and fell back, making a fist in his hands and slamming it against the floor, shutting his eyes. “This is all my fault.” He whispered.

He winced when he felt a weight on his chest, and a hand smacking his cheek. “Hey!”

Damien opened his eyes again, staring up at the Irken. “What?” He sounded broken.

“I want answers.” Zim demanded, “Zim deserves to know things.”

The man only stared at him, glancing around the room and sighing. Might as well. “What do you want to know?”

“What are you? You’re not a human.”

Damien shifted back to a sitting position, but Zim only readjusted his seat on Damien’s lap, staring at the man intently. “I’m part Meekrob.”

“I knew you were a hybrid!” He hissed out, “Natural or artificial?”

Damien didn’t know what Zim meant, and after a moment of silence Zim scowled, “Were you birthed or did you come out of a tube?”

Oh. “…My grandfather was a Meekrob, and he met my grandmother.”

Zim nodded, “Why did you come here?”

Damien smiled slightly, “Dib.”

Zim quirked his head to the side. “DIB?” He felt a rush of anger boiling at the surface.

Damien didn’t notice, “Dib had been trying to look for you and he finally found out who took you, and I was the only one who could get in here and search for you.”

“LIES!” Zim screeched. “Dib was the one who sent me here!” The Irken left the other’s lap to move away, turning and pointing at him, “You were sent here to mock me weren’t you?”

Damien’s confidence wasn’t with him anymore, the yelling actually having him cower slightly, as he did when he was younger. “N-no he wanted me to come rescue you. Honest. He never sent you here.”

“What is your relation to the DIB-THING?” Zim hissed out, feeling the urge to take his anger out on Damien, depending on the man’s answer, he would.

Damien opened his mouth and shut it, “D…do your kind know what boyfriends are?” He asked, unsure.

Zim stilled, an antennae quirking, “BoyFRIENDS? Eh? So he’s your FRIEND.” He began to advance but Damien shook his head.

“No, no, no, uh—it’s…” He tried to think, because the way the Irken looked right now was making Damien nervous, and he didn’t want to be left in here with a psychopathic alien. He wracked his brain, trying to come up with another word, “Mates?”

Zim stopped advancing, taking in the term. “Mates.” He eyed Damien, thinking about Dib. He snorted in dry amusement. Of course, Dib was obsessed with aliens, he would make one into his mate. He kept staring, his claws twitching. Friends was one thing, he could destroy a friend, but a mate? “Lifemates?” He asked then.

Damien thought about it and blushed, reaching up to scratch his head, “Well…if you wanna put it that way, yes.”

The man’s reaction was what sank into Zim’s subconscious, and he took in the information. Suddenly, he didn’t want to kill the man at all. “I see.” He mumbled, watching him.

Dib had a mate… his mate was an alien. Dib probably did all of this to obsess over a new alien. The longer he watched Damien the more the gears in his head turned. Killing him wouldn’t bring him any joy, not when he wanted to kill Dib himself… but what would be better, killing Dib or putting him through hell like he did Zim? He grinned slowly, contemplating. Hurting your enemy and watching them suffer sounded more satisfying than killing them altogether, and the best way to hurt him, to make him feel the pain Zim felt for the past twelve years, would be stealing away the one thing that he loves the most. That sounded better.

He suddenly wondered how much Dib was attached to this alien…

Damien didn’t know what was going on, or what the Irken was thinking about. But the sudden lack of aggression made him relax some. He didn’t want to be in pain when he was realizing how stupid he had been for so long. He moved to sit back against the wall, reaching for the collar to try to take it off. He was met with an electric jolt to his fingers, making him wince and let go. There wasn’t a way to take it off, was there? He frowned, looking over at the window. How long was Agent Darkbootie planning on keeping him here? Though…it wouldn’t matter, wouldn’t it? Dib was probably on his way to get Matthew and Dakota. He wouldn’t be trapped here for long, would he?

When Damien looked away from the window he realized that Zim was back in his lap, staring intently at his eyes. Damien gave him a reassuring smile, “We won’t be here for long.” He said then.

“What makes you say that?” Zim questioned.

“Dib’s going to come back.” He replied.

Zim didn’t like that answer. “No, he won’t.” He reached up to pet Damien’s cheek, “It’s so cute that you think that, almost sad. The Dib-thing isn’t going to return to you, he’s probably long-gone, looking for another alien.”

Damien touched the hand on his cheek, “You don’t understand, Dib’s my boyfriend—“

“No, _you_ don’t understand.” Zim put his free hand on Damien’s other cheek. “Zim knows the Dib-thing the most, Zim has lived with his big head for years. He says he’s obsessed with you but he’s fickle. He will not wait to drop you like unwanted trash so he could look for his next _obsession_.”

No, that didn’t sound right. Damien shook his head, “You’re wrong. He loves me.”

“Does he love you?” Zim’s antennae perked, “Or does he love that you’re an alien?”

The question seemed to stick with Damien, unlike the rest of the insinuations.

_“Me being an alien really does it for you, huh?”_

Damien didn’t know if Dib loved him for him or for the fact that he was a Meekrob, though it sounded stupid. Why would Dib do so much for him if he didn’t love Damien? No, Zim had to be wrong.

But already the seed was planted.

“Dib only cares about himself.” Zim continued, feeling the man’s apprehension. The alien was wearing his emotions like a sign. He continued to pet the other’s cheek. “Humans don’t mate for life, they’re fickle and go through millions at a time.”

Damien frowned, “I’m not a human, and I’m not fickle. I’ve loved Dib since I was a child, I came here to find him. You don’t know what I’ve done to get here.”

“Zim can guess, but the important question is, does he deserve your loyalty? Has he done anything to deserve that?”

Damien went quiet, thinking of their relationship. It had only been for a week or so but ever since he met Dib he had been extremely happy. Though, there was a constant, Damien dropped everything to do whatever Dib wanted. Even now, he was here because Dib wanted to find Zim, Damien was caught and thrown into this cell because Dib needed to rescue him.

A small voice told him that it was he himself that insisted on Dib staying in the car, not Dib. Though, another voice asked if Dib was really going to see Dakota and Matthew like Damien told him to.

Zim’s words were seeping into his subconscious and battling with his heart. His emotional state at the moment was too fragile to argue, already having felt like a failure for letting himself be caught like this. He couldn’t beat himself down lower enough.

Zim continued to watch him, watching as he mentally warred with himself. He was pleased that his manipulation tactics were working, and the other seemed defeated enough to allow them to work. There must be some truth in Zim’s words if they were making Damien falter like he was, and for that Zim was truly thankful that Dib was still so predictable.

All he needed was a bigger push.

Damien continued to think, going back to the fact that he fucked up. He was so fucking confident that he could get out of this, but no, it didn’t work out that way, did it? Why did he have to be so confident all the time? He got too full of himself, Dib probably knew that did he? The small voice in the back of his head wondered if Dib was going to think less of him now. His biggest fear in his life was the man he was devoted to finding him uninteresting and leaving him. Being this stupid probably made him look so foolish, he had been flaunting his abilities so easily. Hell, he did it as soon as he met Dib. He suddenly felt like the world’s biggest idiot. Dib probably hated him for being too sure of himself, did he? Damien did, so Dib _must_.

Before he knew it he was starting to cry. He hadn’t done that ever since he was a child. Back when everyone thought he was the devil’s spawn and children were told never to play with him because they were afraid of him. It wasn’t _his_ fault that his eyes were red. It wasn’t _his_ fault that he could move objects without touching them. All he wanted was to be liked. That’s the only reason why he did what he did…

But no one ever liked Damien as a person did they? No, he was popular for what he could do. He was popular for the stunts that he pulled. They never liked him as a _person_.

Was that the same with Dib?

“It…doesn’t matter now.” Damien choked out, “Who would even want me?” He felt claws wipe the tears from his cheeks. “No one has ever liked me for me, just for what I can do. I’m nothing…I’ve always been nothing.”

Zim wanted to take pleasure in the man’s sudden misery, but all he could feel was anger. He didn’t understand why he was suddenly angry, but the sight of Damien crying made him want to take it out on whoever caused him those tears. He reached up to wipe his tears from his eyes, “Why go to humans for approval when all they do is lie?” He hissed out. “Humans are nothing, they’re weak pathetic trash who don’t see the value of what’s in front of them. Like you…”

With that Zim leaned up and kissed him, his lips lingering on the other’s for a moment. Zim felt the pool of warmth in his squeedily spooch again, breaking away from Damien to see his reaction.

Damien was caught unawares, unable to react or respond to what Zim had just done to him. He opened his mouth and shut it. Zim could only smile at the reaction, finding that he rather liked it. He brought Damien’s head down to kiss him again, but this time with more passion behind it. The man under him was pulled into silence. Zim took advantage of that, licking the man’s mouth open to delve into it further, tasting something delectable in his mouth that he never tasted before in his life. It was warm, like a spice. It only drove Zim further, taking his time into tasting the alien before the other finally broke the kiss.

The engineer’s eyes were wide, having pushed Zim back enough to keep their mouths apart. “I—I can’t do this.” Damien whispered, “I’m in love with Dib—“

The mention of his enemy made a coil of jealousy twist in Zim’s gut so tight that he hissed, he shoved himself forward, “Dib doesn’t deserve you.” Especially when Damien was the one who risked his freedom to come here and rescue _him_. Dib, that cowardly fuck forced Damien to do all the dirty work for him.

Why was Damien so devoted to someone who didn’t even deserve it?

Zim grasped Damien’s shirt and yanked him forward, kissing him more aggressively now, establishing his dominance with the one single gesture. The motion was so intense that Damien felt himself becoming carried away by it, whimpering underneath him and allowing Zim to do what he wanted. Zim only purred low in his throat, pleased that the man knew his place. Whatever flavor Damien’s mouth was only pushed him further. It wasn’t long until Zim felt something hard underneath him, and he reached down to feel the erection that Damien was presenting. The touch made Damien whine and Zim noted this, breaking the kiss only to turn his attention to what he was feeling.

He remembered the human anatomy lesson from the days in school, when they gathered all the boys up into a room to teach them about mating practices that matured humans did with each other. It was a horrible week of learning but he came away with more knowledge than he had before. Zim instantly went for Damien’s jeans, managing to undo the buttons and zipper, coming upon the man’s erection through his boxers.

Damien was flushed, unable to find words while Zim was fishing out his cock, “Zim—“

The Irken paid him no mind, stroking him with his hand and feeling the man under him tremble. He heard his groan and it only spurred him on further. He continued to stroke him, enjoying that he was having this affect on Damien. He wondered if Dib had done this, and soon felt that coil of jealousy tighten. No, Dib wasn’t worthy enough to touch _this_ alien. Dib and his filthy human hands. When he stroked the head Damien let out a shuddering sigh, and Zim stopped, finding some precum on his hand and moving to lick it off. He tasted more of that warming spice, glancing up at Damien before moving down so he could lick it with his tongue. The motion made Damien cry out, the man bringing his fist to his mouth to try and keep himself quiet. Zim didn’t pay him any mind, laving his tongue along the man’s length and moving to suck it. He wanted more of that flavor.

Damien bit down on his fist, shuddering from the stimulation the Irken was giving him. His head fell back against the wall and he shut his eyes. This wasn’t Dib… why was he letting this happen? Though at the same time he didn’t want it to stop, the small seed of doubt in his head telling him that Dib didn’t care. He inhaled sharply when Zim’s tongue wrapped around his length, his hips bucking up before he felt Zim’s hands pin him down. “Lo siento…” He murmured behind his fist, feeling the pleasure start to coil inside of him, Zim still sucking on his cock until that coil finally snapped. “MIERDA!” Damien finally came, his eyes opening wide and feeling the Irken drink everything that escaped him. He felt weak after his orgasm, calmer, as if it was what he needed after feeling so miserable.

Zim swallowed what he was given, giving a delighted purr as he finally looked up at Damien. The man looked tired, sated and satisfied, and Zim only grinned, licking his lips from the flavor that exploded into his mouth. “Mine.” He growled it loud enough for Damien to hear, and the man felt a burning tingle in his groin at the word, nodding quietly.

In the back of Damien’s mind he wondered if Dib was coming back at all.

* * *

In another room the blonde scientist was in a frenzy over the security feeds, grabbing his cellphone and redialing Agent Darkbootie’s number, “Sir you won’t believe what just happened!” He paused for a moment, looking back at the screen that exposed the cell. “That interaction you wanted, well it’s bore fruit.”


	14. Chapter 14

Matthew insisted on taking a shot gun, even if Dib wasn’t planning on killing anyone. He was adamant about having a weapon that could ‘get things done’, as he put it. Tasers and stun guns only went so far in hostage situations.

They were treating this as a hostage situation. Never mind that Damien had probably did everything he could do to get into this situation, in the end it wasn’t his fault (even though it was). He was just a man who wanted to be liked, brought on by years and years of being an outcast due to elements he couldn’t control. Because of that he had made friends with the wrong people, trusted people who shouldn’t be trusted, and exposed himself without an afterthought.

Dib recalled the first time he and Damien had met, and his earlier assumptions that this man was ashamed of his abilities and was looking for validation. It was a bitter taste in his mouth that he was actually right about that one assumption. He was dealing with a man who put himself out there, someone who painted this false picture of himself so he could hide his insecurities brought on by his childhood. He and Damien weren’t different at all, no, they were exactly _the same_. Just by realizing that Dib felt this surge of emotion that he didn’t think he had before, the overpowering need to protect and take care of this man. Damien was just a little boy that was crying for help and letting people use him because of his powers, and now Dib felt like he needed to keep him safe.

So much for keeping him safe, Dib should have done that before Damien got himself into this mess. Though, he couldn’t beat himself up over something that had already been done. He just hoped that Damien was okay where he was, still alive and in one piece. If he found Damien he would also find Zim, and hopefully they were getting along.

He continued the habit of going 20 miles over the speed limit on the interstate, because fuck it, this car was built for it and Dib was going to make sure they were going to get there as fast as humanly possible.

“What’s the plan?” He asked Matthew, who was in the passenger seat wearing normal clothes, yet there was a kevlar vest under his shirt. In his hand was a flask, as the man insisted on drinking some whiskey to calm his nerves for what they were about to do. Matthew took a swig of said whiskey, thinking about it while he tucked the thing in his breast pocket.

“Force ourselves inside. They will assume we’re just three normal humans.”

“We are three normal humans.” Dib piped out—glancing at the rear-view mirror to catch Dakota’s amused grin. “Okay _two_ normal humans.”

“One normal human.” Matthew corrected him, “Dib, there’s something you don’t know about me. I’m one nasty motherfucker to duke it out with. I can crush a man’s skull easily.”

Dib glanced at him, “Do you have proof of that?”

“Bar fights, many many bar fights where the other guy came out in worse shape than I was and by the next day my wounds are gone or minimized to nothing. I can recover faster than other humans, but when my blood gets boiling then all hell breaks loose.”

“We think it’s the blood transfusion.” Dakota added, “He’s pretty _virile_ in other areas too.” She giggled.

Dib made a face, “I didn’t want to know that.”

“Did you know that Dakota tastes like pineapples?” Matthew began to laugh, and Dib groaned audibly.

“You know if I didn’t think you were related to Damien then then I know for sure you are now.” He shouted, “I know more about you two than I should.”

Dakota smiled, “Welcome to the family, Dib.”

“So does Damien taste like cinnamon or was he just lying?” Matthew continued, grinning madly.

Dib wanted to drive off of a cliff.

* * *

In the cell the lights were still off, Zim was content, sitting next to Damien as the man was sleeping. He hadn’t left the other’s side since, and made sure to establish their roles multiple times that night. It was curious as to how the man could taste so nice, but when he woke back up Zim wanted to actually plan an escape. He wasn’t alone anymore, and with two aliens there was more of a chance to actually leave this place, now that there was someone else to look at his pack.

Honestly he would be out of there if he was able to work on his own pack, but he couldn’t have it off for more than a few minutes at a time, and the longer he went the more his body would start to shut down. The fixing he wanted to do would take a lot longer than ten minutes, it required constant eyes on the interior. He hoped that this man wasn’t inept when it came to technology, and perhaps they would get somewhere. Given that he was a naturally born alien, it could go either way.

Movement brought him back to the present, and he could see the blonde scientist, with two security guards carrying something closer to the cell. Zim felt his hackles rise, glaring at the approaching humans. They better not be trying to take this man away from him.

When the scientist opened the door Zim hissed out, going into a defensive stance. The scientist literally jumped, becoming nervous and shaking his head, stepping aside. He assumed the alien would be docile but it wasn’t the case. “Calm down calm down, we’re just bringing something inside.” The man’s voice was full of nervous fright, because he had _seen_ what Zim had done to the last person who was stupid enough to get close to him. The security guards paid them no mind, moving into the cell an actual bed, still in the box.

“He can figure it out for himself.” Said one of the guards, making sure the scientist got out before leaving them alone in the cell once again.

Zim stared at the box, his antennae quirking. It looked suspicious on its own, but it was a box, full of a metal bed frame and a mattress. He figured that it was meant for Damien, as they knew Irkens didn’t sleep at all. He looked down at the other, bringing his hand to brush some hair out of the man’s face before finally getting up to his feet and making his way to the box. He managed to open it, finding a disassembled bed-frame, an instruction manual and a bag of the needed tools. His eyes glittered at the sight of the screwdriver and he kept that in mind for later, flipping the pages and seeing the drawn out diagrams.

Damien’s sleep wasn’t as restful as he wanted it, but all he was given was a floor and nothing else. He let out a small groan and curled up on his side, hearing someone tinker with metal and wondering if he had dreamt the night before. His eyes opened slowly, the sight of Zim working on a metal frame becoming his main focus. Oh, he was still here… He let out a sigh and looked towards the window, seeing nothing different other than the changed guard. How long had he been sleeping? There wasn’t a clock anywhere, and he finally sat up, wondering what Dib was doing. Was he still coming to get him or was he…not…

He decided to not think about it more than he had to, watching as Zim began to finish setting up the frame. It looked like a bed. “W…where did that come from?”

“The humans brought it in, Zim assumes it’s for you.” Zim plopped the folded up mattress onto the frame and cut the plastic easily, the mattress springing into its flattened state. “There.”

The man slowly got to his feet, making his way over to the small single and deciding to try it out then and there, laying himself down on it. He sighed, closing his eyes. It felt way better than the cement floor.

The Irken pocketed the screwdriver out of sight of the security camera, “Zim awaits your praise.” He said then, folding his arms.

Damien opened his eyes and found Zim’s, throwing out a thumbs-up. He wasn’t feeling like his normal self, the overconfident man who threw his charm and charisma at anyone with a pulse. No, this alien had seen him at his lowest, not even _Dib_ had seen him cry. The Damien he was now was reminiscent of his childhood, the beaten-down child who felt miserable and lonely, knowing he wasn’t good enough for anyone’s adulation and that he was just a freak. Satan’s spawn. Hijo de satanás.

It was strange that no one outside of his family had seen Damien’s true self, other than Zim. Not even Dib knew that his normal facade was just that, a facade. He had a feeling Dib wouldn’t really like insecure and weak Damien, hell, Damien didn’t even like insecure and weak Damien. He was his biggest secret.

Zim kept his eyes on the other’s, cherries on crimson. From the looks of it the man was still depressed, which rattled Zim the wrong way. “Why are you sad?” He asked then, and when Damien lifted his head to speak he held out his hand, “Don’t deny it, either.”

Damien shut his mouth, folding his arms and settling his chin on them. He realized that Zim didn’t know him other than what he was or his name. “Let me ask you something, does your species have hybrids?”

Zim thought about it, “Anything imperfect to the proper design of an Irken is classified as a defect and deleted.” The words bothered him as he said it, as _he_ was considered a defect.

Damien laughed lightly, “I guess I’m one of those.” He mused. “A defect.”

The Irken felt curious, “Explain.” He decided to sit on the bed next to him, and Damien rolled over on his side to keep an eye on the other.

“Well, my grandfather was a Meekrob… he came to Earth and settled here, deciding to explore all the parts of the world and experience their cultures, because Earth, while populated by many, was a mix of a wide array of cultures. When he came to Peru, he met my grandmother. He fell in love with her instantly and I guess they were compatible, because from them came my mother and my uncle.

“They looked normal, normal eyes, normal skin, hair, the only thing different about them was that they had grandpa’s abilities. My mother was amazed by it, but my uncle hated it. He felt like a freak, he wanted to be normal.”

“What is…normal?” Zim questioned.

“A regular human.” Damien answered quietly, “Well…when my mother met my father and had me, they thought it was going to be the same…but I came out with red eyes, these eyes right here. No one but grandpa had those red eyes and he actually felt amused that they carried on into the gene pool, because they assumed his genetics didn’t copy over, since mom and my uncle looked so much like grandma. Though, here’s the thing, my family came from a super-religious village, they believed in God and Satan, they were superstitious and everything.”

Zim looked confused, so Damien gave him a short explanation about deities and how the Catholic religion was, and what superstitions were. Zim didn’t like that at all, “You humans make your existences so overly complicated.”

Damien smiled slightly, “Well…because of my red eyes I was thought to be Satan’s child, they pegged my mother was a whore. When I was young and wanted to have friends all the children were told to not go near me or I’d curse them. They were scared of me, they taught their children to be scared of me. I suddenly realized why my uncle hated it so much.” He sighed and rolled over onto his back, folding his arms behind his head. “Then we moved…and I was able to get a fresh start. No one knew me in New Mexico, and I was able to pawn my eye color off as contacts. But I was still lonely, desperate to make friends…so…I started showing off my abilities. I wanted so much for people to like me that I became another person entirely, and people seemed to like me more because of it. I became popular, people wanted to date me, people wanted _me_.”

Damien’s story made Zim’s gut twist. He didn’t like it at all, none of it. “You shouldn’t have to demean yourself to get the adulation you deserve.” He moved so he was settled on Damien’s chest. “You’re better than those humans. All of them. You have something they don’t. You could easily crush them under your foot. You should be proud of who you are! You deserve a lot more…”

The engineer went quiet, staring up at Zim. No one had ever said those words to him other than his mother. His mother, however, was his mother, she was forced to say that…but never did he hear it from anyone else. His heart ached at the sound of it. “Zim…” He didn’t know what to say, and the Irken reached down to put a claw over his lips.

“Quiet.” The man under him was weak, it was clear in the other’s eyes. He had been beaten down by the humans and was holding onto a thread of dignity. Zim hated it. This man, this alien, he had to realize what might he had and how superior he was compared to all of these meat sacks telling him otherwise. He felt like he needed to be the one to show him how special he was, how rare of a species he is. Meekrob were all but extinct, and they alone were so great that his own race were forced to wipe them out. Damien was an elite being, not a freak to be made fun of and cast aside. A strange emotion passed through him and he suddenly felt like killing everyone who had a hand in breaking him, the ones who made him a pariah, the ones who treated Damien as lowly as the ones who had treated Zim like trash. Damien was so similar to Zim, cast aside by his own people and made to feel inferior.

He was a defective.

Just like Zim.

“Zim refuses to allow you to wallow in your sadness.” The Irken whispered, staring into those glowing eyes. “Zim will groom you to be better than what you are now.” He finally released his claw from the other’s lips, noticing that Damien was starting to cry again. Zim felt that warmth again inside of him and he reached up to wipe them away.

Damien didn’t understand his emotions. They were becoming jumbled, mixed together. Emotions he normally held for Dib were starting to bleed into the emotions he had towards Zim. He was becoming confused, hating this. Was he so pathetic that his heart weakened for anyone who was as nice to him as Zim was being? He felt this same way towards Dib, he felt it strongly towards Dib, but he didn’t even know where Dib was, or what he was doing. He didn’t know if Dib was even on his way… but he was in front of Zim, another alien, someone who was similar to him but still so different. The words coming out of his mouth were things he’s been wanting to hear all his life but had never received. He closed his eyes, trying to recollect himself. He had to be logical about this. It hadn’t even been over a day yet, or has it? He had no sense of time, but he couldn’t give up hope could he? Dib would come back…

He just had to…

He couldn’t give into Zim’s kind words and move on, he’s worked too hard to find Dib to give up on him now.

* * *

The car was parked back in the bushes, near the facility. Dib checked the security station with his binoculars, seeing the one guard and turning his attention to the cars that were starting to file out.

They had to wait the entire day to pass in order to make their move. When it was 9PM they set forward from New Haven back to Bycoast, and now it was 10:46, the three of them waiting for the last car to leave so they could make their move. It would be just silly to go in during the day when everyone was around.

“Maybe we should just go. What’s one car?” Matthew was itching to get out and start a fight, his shotgun was waiting to be strapped to his back.

“I’m ready to party.” Dakota said, also itching to leave. She was grinning, excited and anxious balled up together.

“Don’t do it until I say so.” Dib informed her, looking over at Matthew. “Are you certain one car won’t make all the difference?”

“Not really, I just want to bust some heads.” The man grinned, taking one more swig from his flask.

Someone then approached the door and went to that one car, reversing themselves out of the parking lot and saying their goodbyes to the security guard on their way out. Dib smiled, counting to ten as soon as the car left his sight, “Ok, let’s go.”

Matthew was the first to get out, and Dakota followed. The man strapped his gun to his back and like a Marine snuck over to the security station. Dib watched on as the older man took the guard by surprise and held him in a headlock, squeezing until the man passed out. He grinned, running over to the security station with Dakota in tow, “That was amazing.” He had a good feeling about this.

Dib crouched down and picked the key card from the man’s chest pocket, pressing on the button that opened the gate and all three of them hurried inside.

“Now remember, there’s cameras everywhere.” Dib told them.

“I can take care of those.” Dakota smirked, and when they were near one of them she used her telekinesis to make it pan straight up instead of down at them, doing that for the second and third one they encountered. When they got to the door Dib used the key card, all three of them entering the reception room. From there Dakota flipped the security cameras. Matthew looked around for a map of some sort, “How do we do this?”

“Each of us take a floor.” Dib said then, “We’ll cover more ground.”

“We will need more key cards.”

“No, we already have them.” Dib ran his key card onto the door to the receptionist’s office, finding two lab coats that were hanging on the hooks and pilfering the key cards from those. Dib smiled, turning and handing the two of them one card each. “You take the first floor.” He said to Dakota, “You take the second.” He said to Matthew, “If this facility is anything like my father’s then it goes down, I’ll take the third floor and we’ll go from there.”

The two of them nodded, heading down the hall. Luckily the elevator was a clean shot ahead, Dakota making use of the security cameras before they got to the doors. Dakota went first, giving Matthew a kiss on the cheek before using her key card.

Dib looked at Matthew, “Will she be alright alone?”

“She’s not a fragile little flower,” Matthew explained to him, “I made sure of that.” He winked.

Dib’s face flushed slightly and he looked away, “You know I really don’t want to know about your guy’s sex lives.”

“What did I say about our sex life?”

The scientist blinked, staring at Matthew for a moment before heading into the elevator first, he needed to leave quickly.

He listened to the elevator music blaring overhead, but it wasn’t enough to relax him. They spent one day apart, it was one day too many in Dib’s opinion, but within that time he had the chance to discover who the real Damien Duvatt was, not someone who was perceived to be perfect in every way, but an insecure man who made himself become perfect in every way. It didn’t sit well with Dib at all, that Damien thought he had to be someone else in front of Dib. Did Damien assume that Dib would find him uninteresting? That thought was crazy. Hell, Dib was pretty damn uninteresting and not a handsome man but Damien found him amazing nonetheless. It would only be logical that it would work the other way around. Dib wasn’t with him based on his looks and talents alone, he was with him because Damien actively searched for _him_.

Though having a hot boyfriend on his arm at the beach made his ego inflate to 200% because he knew he was making the onlookers jealous.

He would be a fool if he valued the superficial aspects over the substance, and Damien had a lot of substance.

A voice in the back of his head told him that all that substance was just an act, that he was lying to you this whole time, but another voice in his head quelled the previous one, saying that Damien was probably afraid of losing him if he _didn’t_ act like that.

The realization made his heart ache.

When the elevator stopped, the door slid open. Dib stepped out into the white painted hallway with doors on either side. He started his way down, keeping his stun gun at the ready. He wondered if Dakota or Matthew found anything, going for his radio.

“See anything?”

There was silence, but then, _“Nothing here but papers.”_ Dakota’s voice. _“A bunch of computers.”_ Matthew’s voice.

Dib opened up one of the doors, coming to what looked like to be a storage room. He paid it no mind, shutting it up and moving on. He came across a security camera and frowned, waiting for it to move a certain direction before threading himself around the corner. He didn’t want them to be alerted just yet. Though, five steps in one of the far doors opened and Dib saw a security guard leave. His heart skipped a beat and his breath fell short, fumbling with his stun gun. “Shit.”

The man seemed to be dusting crumbs off of his chest, in his mouth was a toothpick. He mumbled something to himself and turned away, opposite of Dib. The scientist breathed a sigh of relief, hurrying down the hallway on deft feet, replacing the stun gun with the taser and aiming straight for his neck.

“AUGH!”

Dakota watched as the security guard dropped like a dead weight, smiling as she quickly opened a door to shove the body inside whatever room it was. She let out a sigh, cracking her knuckles and pulling up her radio, “How many security guards are there?” She asked.

_“I just ran across one.”_ Dib’s voice. _“I haven’t seen any yet.”_ Matthew’s voice.

She let go of the radio, flipping every security camera she came across. “Someone’s going to come check on this floor at any moment if there’s people monitoring the cameras.”

“Then I suggest finding Damien as quickly as possible.” Matthew said into his radio, coming to a dead end. “There’s nothing on this floor.” Which was a shame, he thought, turning around so he could retrace his steps. He had managed to shoot the security cameras with a silenced pistol, each one of them destroyed and not seeing shit anymore. The pistol was holstered at his side, waiting to be used as well as the shot gun strapped to his back. He turned a corner then, only to step back and unholster his gun, having seen a security guard step out from another hallway. He grit his teeth and turned the corner again, aiming the gun at the man’s head and approaching him quickly. “Alright DOWN!”

The security guard didn’t expect to be approached by a big man with a shotgun tonight, crying out before dropping to his knees, his hands going over his head. Matthew stopped right in front of the guard, glaring down at him. “Tell me where you keep the aliens.” He hissed out.

The man’s eye twitched, “The aliens?”

“Don’t you play fucking dumb with me.” He cocked the gun, and the man felt a cold chill go down his spine. He swallowed thickly, pointing down.

“Fourth floor.” He gasped out.

Matthew put the radio to his mouth, “Dib, fourth floor.”

_“Thank you!”_

Suddenly, however the sirens went off. Matthew heard a scream from Dakota’s end, “DAKOTA!” He reached forward and slammed the butt of his gun into the security guard’s face, breaking out into a run. “I’M COMING!”

_“Hurry!”_ She cried.

Deep within the fourth floor the sirens managed to break Zim of his concentration, releasing his mouth from Damien’s cock when everything outside was bathed in a red light. “HUH?”

Damien shot up, his eyebrows raising, “THAT’S DIB!” He cried out, getting out of the bed so fast that Zim toppled off. The Irken was shocked himself, but more than that he was pissed off that Dib had come back…for _Damien_.

The man tucked himself back into his jeans, embarrassment and shame for allowing Zim to go that far flooding his senses until he shoved it away, finding the strength again now that he knew Dib had returned for him. His heart thundered in his chest and he stared out the window, seeing that the guard who stood outside that door had fled. He felt determination boil up inside of him and he decided to go big or go home, grasping the inhibiting collar with his hands on either side of his neck. He began to scream as the electricity began to flow through him but the pain didn’t make him stop, forcing himself to work through the pain. He collapsed to his knees, finally letting go and gasping out, his hands were shaking and he cursed, the tremors rolling through him.

Suddenly Zim was at his side, and Damien remembered that he was there, the Irken holding the screwdriver in his hands without a word to him. Damien grabbed the handle and tilted his head back, slamming the screwdriver against the collar as hard as he can go.

“WAIT—“

Damien jabbed it forcefully two more times until he heard a crack— his eyes widening as he dropped the tool and grasped the collar again, ignoring the pain as he forced it open and throwing it across the room. Damien’s arms fell forward and he grasped the floor, breathing heavily and glaring at the windows to the cell.

“No one’s keeping me here.” He ground out, and Zim screamed, ducking away as the bed in the corner had thrown itself into the windows, the force of the throw smashing the bed right through and into the hallway. “Zim.” He said then, standing up.

Zim’s eyes were wide, staring at Damien in awe. This wasn’t a side of Damien he had seen before, and it left him shocked. A feeling of jealousy coiled at his gut when he realized that this side was only triggered when he realized that Dib had returned for him.

_Dib._

Damien took his arm when Zim didn’t answer, pulling him up into his arms and kicking away some glass, running down the hall before him, looking for an exit. “We’re getting out.” Damien told him, rounding the corner and coming face to face with Agent Twilight. The blonde scientist screamed out, his eyes wide and seeing Damien outside of the cell. He knew something happened when he heard the crashing sound, but now he was in front of both of the aliens. He backed away, shaking his head.

“Don’t kill me.” He pleaded.

Damien stared him down, stepping forward until the blonde scientist was pressed against the wall, his eyes shut and the man trembling in fear. He reached out, his hand going for the key card on the scientist’s pocket and ripping it off of him. “I don’t believe in murder.” Damien told him, turning to head towards the elevator. The scientist watched him leave, feeling his heart flutter in his chest before his legs gave out and he whimpered.

Damien carried Zim, holding the key card tight as they came upon the elevator. He pressed it to the censor, and the doors opened to a familiar face. Damien’s eyes brightened and he dropped Zim out of his own shock, launching himself forward to cling to Dib tight. “I knew you’d come save me!” He cried.

Zim glare was boiling hot as he was shoved aside for _Dib_. The man in question hugged Damien quickly before pulling away. “We can hug later, we need to go. Dakota and Matthew are—“

“They’re here too?” Damien looked about ready to cry, finally remembering Zim and grasping the Irken’s arm to pull him into the elevator. Zim only silently complied, his face blank and devoid of emotion. When the elevator began to rise Dib finally saw Zim, “I knew you were alive!” He leaned down, “I would have come to rescue you but I couldn’t find the access codes to the base—“

“Yeah, yeah.” Zim muttered, staying neutral even if he wanted to reach forward and rip out the man’s eyeballs. “About damn time.” He loathed this. He loathed _him_. He wanted nothing more than to slaughter him, but not while Damien was there. Not now.

Dib felt a sense of relief flooding through his body and he reached over to hug the alien, the Irken making a disgusted cringe before shoving him away. Dib only laughed, “Yep, same space boy.” He stood up after that, taking Damien’s hand instantly. Zim only kept his neutral facade, even if he wanted to rip that arm out of its socket.

Patience.

When the elevator door opened again they were met with Matthew and Dakota, the man shoving himself inside while dragging his wife into the elevator. “I took care of them, there were like five on Dakota and they hit her with a stun gun.”

Damien’s eyebrows rose up, turning to his cousin. “Kota—“

“I’m okay.” She breathed, not really enjoying being in such a tight space with three other people, four if you counted the small alien that wasn’t even waist high.

When the elevator door opened again they all clamored out. Damien brought Zim back into his arms and they filed their way down the hall and towards the door that led to the reception room. Damien was the first through, going still as he heard guns cocking, aiming up at him and Zim. He felt a cold chill trail down his spine, feeling Dib and Matthew bump into him.

Dib’s eyes narrowed dangerously and he began to feel his blood pressure rise, seeing Agent Darkbootie standing at the entrance with two security guards flanking him, carrying real guns aimed at the five of them.

“Well this was a really fun evening, I was having a nice dinner party with friends and then I get the call that three armed mercenaries had infiltrated the base. I had a feeling it’d be you, Mothman.”

Dib’s fingers twitched, “I should have known not to trust you.”

The older man smiled. “Ah, you should have realized just what we do when you joined the Swollen Eyeballs, Dib, weren’t you at one point so eager to have this Irken alien dissected by our own people?”

Zim’s antenne twitched.

“Things change, Mark.” Dib said aloud, “As I grew older I realized that it wouldn’t make me happy like I thought it did. That’s why I stopped talking about him.”

“Because you became _soft_.” The man explained, “You had affection for the alien, you sympathized with him, and soon you had empathy for him, and no Swollen Eyeball member has empathy for the creatures they are hunting down.”

“You’re wrong.” Damien ground out. “I had empathy.”

“You don’t count.” Mark smirked, “Do you really think that you became so high up in the Network by your own talents alone?” The words seemed to stab through Damien’s heart, and emotions flickered in his eyes. “No, you’ve became our top member because I _wanted_ it that way. Because I knew what you are.”

Anger flashed in Dib’s eyes, “Damien’s more than a fucking alien you stupid old man! He’s a person with thoughts and emotions!”

Zim turned his attention to Damien, feeling his body start to tremble. He reached out to touch his neck. “Calm.” He murmured.

“You took him for granted!” Dib continued, “He’s a lot more than what you make him out to be.”

Mark didn’t answer, his eyes on how the Irken was trying to calm the man carrying him. “No matter, because I’m not letting any of you leave this facility.” He turned his eyes onto Dakota, “Because you’re just like him.” He watched Matthew get in front of her, glaring daggers at him. “And you, you’re a lab experiment from the Membrane Corporation.”

Matthew growled out, “Excuse me?”

“That blood they pumped into you? It’s purely alien blood, I believe the same species as that little Irken. I’m sure you have noticed it yet, have you?”

Matthew faltered, an uneasy feeling rolling in his gut.

“You’re the last surviving member of your squadron.” He continued, grinning. “Purely a magnificent experiment to have lasted so long.”

Dib stepped forward, and the guns trained onto him. “We’re not staying here.”

“Well, _you’re_ not.” Mark clarified, “You’re going to be dumped with the rest of the bodies. I’m sorry but you know too much. I was really hoping that Damien wouldn’t find you, but he did. Now we’re here.”

Damien clenched his teeth, reaching out to shove Dib back. “I won’t let you hurt him.” He shouted. “If you want Dib you’re going to have to get through me.”

Zim stared up at him, “Damien—“

“I would listen to your little Irken boyfriend.” Mark taunted.

Dib blinked, looking over at Zim, catching the concern in his eyes while they were directed at Damien. He became uneasy. What just happened in there?

Damien took Zim and transferred him to Dib’s arms, getting in front of them both. “We’re leaving. All of us…you’re not going to follow or track us in any way, and you’re going to leave us all alone.”

The man quirked a brow, “Or what?”

Damien stepped forward, unafraid of the guns pointing at him. Though, if he was honest with himself, he was very much afraid, frightened to the core. He had a plan and he hoped it would work.

“If you take another step, then my men are going to shoot.” Mark took a step back.

Damien smirked, “I’ll take that bet.” He broke out into a run, and the security guards started to fire. Damien focused, hard, hearing Dakota and Dib’s screaming but keeping his telekinesis trained on the bullets, curving them around and sending them into the security guard’s shoulders. Another shot was fired before they hit, and Damien made sure to keep his focus, curving that bullet and sending it straight through Mark’s right leg as soon as he approached the man, grasping him by the arm and hooking his free arm around the man’s neck. His heart was pounding wildly, watching as the security guards held pause now that Damien was using their boss as a meat shield.

“You’re going to LEAVE MY FAMILY ALONE.” He shouted, “You’re going to leave me alone, you’re going to leave Dib alone. You’re not going to touch Dakota or Matthew and you’re sure as hell not going after Zim. Because while I refuse to murder, Matthew and Dakota don’t have any qualms into killing people who deserve it.”

Matthew and Dakota only grinned widely, and Zim’s eyes were stuck on Damien, unable to speak.

The older man was having trouble breathing from how tight Damien was strangling him, feeling the man ease up just slightly. The bullet in his leg was an unbearable pain, and he had a feeling that Damien would make good on his threats. He looked over at his two injured guards, “Let them go.” He said then.

Dib smiled when the two armed men nodded and left the front door, and Zim shoved himself out of Dib’s arms to stand on his own.

Damien slowly released the older man, his crimson eyes boring into the other’s blue, “I’m no longer Agent Runestone.” He said then. “Be glad you get to see the next ParanormaCon.”

The man didn’t say anything, watching as Damien began walking out of the facility, Dib hurrying to follow and Dakota with Matthew tailing behind. Zim was the last one there, staring up at Mark, his eyes narrowed. He stepped closer, reaching up for the bullet wound on his leg and digging his claws in so hard that the man screamed, collapsing onto his knees. When that happened Zim grabbed his shirt with his bloody claws. “Fuck with me or my _mate_ ever again and I won’t be so merciful.” He hissed out so only he could hear.

Mark glared at him, “If it wasn’t for me then you wouldn’t have _your mate_.” He whispered.

Zim let go of him, looking away for a second before backhanding him and hurrying out of the facility, running past the other three to get to Damien, latching onto his leg. Damien smiled, pulling Zim up to his arms.

The five of them left the facility, Damien opting to sit up front with Dib, Zim in his lap as the man’s eyes lingered lovingly on his boyfriend.

Zim didn’t say a word, only thinking.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't make Professor Membrane into an asshole, really. He has reasons for doing what he does.

The ride back to the apartment complex was nearly quiet, now that everyone had done what they had to. Damien was back with them, and so was Zim. Hopefully Agent Darkbootie wouldn’t try anything else, but Dib had a good feeling that the man wouldn’t do anything to risk his own life. Damien was still convincing when he wanted to be.

As for Damien, he fell asleep in the car on the way back, everything having built up inside of him so much that he was exhausted. Zim was still on Damien’s lap, his head pressed against the other’s chest to hear the man’s heartbeat, lulled by the rhythm. Dib still wanted to know what had happened those twelve hours that he and Damien were apart, and why Zim was so attached to him, though for now, he was just happy that Damien was back.

When he parked the car into the parking lot Dib reached over to shake Damien out of his nap, and the man slowly came back into consciousness. “Wh—“

“We’re home.” Dib told him.

Matthew looked at the building, quirking a brow. “So you two live across from each other.”

Dakota nudged her husband in the side, waiting for the two of them to get out before being let out of their seats.

“You two are welcomed to stay in my apartment for the night.” Dib told them, “I’m not going to use it for a while.”

Damien slowly smirked, “Moving in without my permission, huh?”

The man blushed, “I don’t want to leave you alone after what just happened.”

Damien let Zim down easy, the Irken folding his arms once he was on the pavement and watching as Damien went to kiss the other man. He had to hold himself back from reacting, forcing himself to look elsewhere.

Dakota smiled, “Let’s go inside, then.”

Damien grinned and stepped forward, Zim keeping himself close to the man. Matthew watched the alien, how he seemed to never be apart from Damien more than just a couple of seconds. He looked at Dakota, who was looking at him, shaking her head.

“Something else is going on.” Matthew whispered to her.

“It’s not our place.” Dakota stressed quietly. She didn’t know much of what went on during those twelve hours but the way the Irken acted reminded her of something. “This is Dib’s problem.” She added after a moment of silence.

The five of them made it into the building, to the specified floor. Dib unlocked his door and told the couple where the bed was before handing Dakota the key. By the time he turned away Damien and Zim were inside his apartment. Zim gathered himself on the couch, able to smell Damien’s scent everywhere in this room. Damien, however, lingered at the door to watch Dib. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Dib walked into the apartment and made his way to the bedroom. Damien followed, an uncertain feeling churning in his gut.

“Dib?” Damien stayed in the doorway.

Dib ran his fingers through his hair, “Why didn’t you tell me that everything was worse than you said it was?”

The engineer paused for a moment, his heart beating as anxiety flooded through his body, “W-what do you mean?”

The man turned to him, “Don’t pretend. When you told me what happened to you up on that cliff I assumed that was the end of it, why didn’t you tell me that it wasn’t?”

Damien glanced at the open door, seeing Zim sitting at the couch listening in and he moved to close it, though the door didn’t click shut. “What was I supposed to tell you? It doesn’t sound cool. My childhood was so bad that I became desperate for validation and this is not really my real self? It sounds pretty lame when you think about it, and I…didn’t want to lessen your view of me.”

Dib’s face fell, “Damien, look at me.” He gestured to himself, “I’m not handsome or cool, I have no muscle tone and I was told that I’m the lamest person alive.”

“You’re not that way to me.” Damien said quietly.

“But the point is, I’m not much different than how you were. Why did you feel like you needed to make yourself someone that you’re not? Didn’t you trust me?”

Damien fell silent, tears stinging the corners of his eyes, he shut his eyes turning away and pressing his forehead to the door, “It’s…not…that I didn’t trust you…” He couldn’t fight back the tears no matter how hard he tried. “I was _afraid_!” He said it louder, turning back to him. “I was afraid of losing you. When Dakota outed me as a stalker, I felt so scared that you’d be disgusted and leave me. I thought if you knew I wasn’t as great as I made myself out to be I thought—“

Dib stepped forward and pulled Damien into a tight embrace. Listening quietly as the man began to cry. “I don’t care what you are.” He said between his sobs, “If I did then that would make me the biggest hypocrite in the world.” He pulled back so he could cup Damien’s face with his hands, “You don’t have to pretend around me, I love you no matter what you are.”

Damien’s chest felt heavy, “Even if I wasn’t part alien?” He asked quietly.

Amber eyes stared into glowing crimson, Dib taking a moment to think. At one point in time, it would have mattered that Damien was an alien, but not anymore. He couldn’t care less anymore. “I love you for you, not for what you can do.”

Damien leaned forward to kiss him again, almost desperately. Suddenly what he had done with Zim felt like the biggest crime he had ever committed, what he allowed the alien to do to him was met with a wave of humiliation that he couldn’t admit. No, he couldn’t tell Dib about what happened, that for one second he had lost hope and caught someone else’s affection. That would devastate him…

Dib returned the kiss with as much passion as he could put into it, leading him to the bed. Damien’s eyebrows rose and he broke it off, “W-what about Zim?” He questioned.

“I don’t want to wait.” Dib whispered, kissing him again, “He won’t hear us.”

Damien’s lips lingered on Dib’s, feeling his resolve break. Though, he felt like doing something else, leaning away from Dib and pushing him down onto the bed. “Let me do something…” He smiled slightly, getting off the bed and removing his clothes, pulling the bottle of lube from the nightstand. He got back onto the bed and began to work on Dib’s clothes, feeling nervous about what he was doing. He didn’t know if he was good, he never had done it before but he still wanted to try. “Just…keep yourself quiet.” Damien whispered, reaching up to stroke him.

Outside the room Zim was patiently waiting, having heard the couple arguing. He figured that he’d let them have their moment, for tonight at least. He was still without his pack functions and right now he was more vulnerable now than how he will be later, especially since Dib knew how he worked. No, he was going to have to play the long game, it seemed. Look for an opening that he could use to his advantage and take what he deserved. Dib wouldn’t ever be able to appreciate that Meekrob hybrid, that man that was cast aside by his own people. He would never be able to understand what being a defective meant. Zim was the only one who could understand Damien, he would be the only one who could rebuild his self-conscience. He remembered his first plan, that he would lure Damien to his side to put Dib through pain and then toss him aside, but now he couldn’t think of giving him up. He still wanted to put Dib through the agony he had gone through, but this time he was going to make it out with a well-sought after prize.

Damien didn’t realize how special he was.

A sound perked Zim’s antennae, bringing him out of his thoughts. His eyes went to the bedroom door, his antennae pressing flat against his head. He could smell it, it was faint but with his superior senses he could pick it up. He slid off of the couch and made his footfalls light, creeping over to the door. It was open by just a hair, and the closer he became the more he could hear the groaning. He grabbed the doorknob and opened it a little further, peeking in.

Damien was whimpering, leaning forward as he slowly rode on Dib’s cock. With every thrust downward his body was shuddering in pleasure. His eyes were trained on Dib, the man underneath him unable to look away from his lover, his hands on Damien’s thighs and encouraging him to move.

“I—it feels so good.” Damien breathed.

“Why do you think I did it?” Dib laughed lightly, groaning when Damien thrust down sharply so he could feel more. “You’re so beautiful.” Dib continued, reaching forward to stroke him. It only added to Damien’s pleasure and he bit back a groan, doing his best not to make any loud noises. Dib only smiled slowly and continued to pump him, wanting Zim to hear him moan. Call it an act of petty jealousy, but he knew Zim well enough to know that something had happened in that cell. Damien wouldn’t say it, but he knew. “You don’t have to be quiet.” Dib said encouragingly.

“But—“ Damien’s words faltered and he hissed out, starting to be driven over the edge. He placed his hands on Dib’s chest and rode himself harder, unable to bite back the next groan. He looked flushed and embarrassed, truly a beautiful sight from Dib’s angle.

“It’s okay…” Dib reached up with his free hand to bring Damien’s head down so he could kiss him, having noticed the light from the living room become more prominent in the door crack. Yes, Dib thought, this was him being possessive and claiming what was his. His lips lingered on Damien’s, groaning when Damien continued. “I want you to scream.” He whispered, stroking him faster.

Damien’s breath caught in his throat, and he shuddered, arching his back and bringing himself down harder now, brushing over _that spot_ repeatedly until he felt his orgasm slam into him, he cried out before he bit into his fist, ejaculating into Dib’s hand and riding out his high until he couldn’t move anymore. Dib had came after him, groaning out and grasping the back of Damien’s neck to pull him back into a more searing and possessive kiss, rendering the man above him to whimper into it.

“I love you.” Damien whispered as soon as the kiss ended, slipping out of Dib so he could lay next to him.

Dib smiled, “You can’t imagine how much I love you.” He replied, turning away from the crack in the door so he could kiss Damien a little softer now.

The door shut quietly, but the hand on the knob was shaking. Zim could only see red, fire blazing in his eyes. He knew that Dib had done that on purpose, he knew the man too well to think otherwise. He _wanted_ Zim to catch them in an act of intimacy.

If Dib wanted to play dirty, then he was going to play dirty.

* * *

Damien was the first to wake the next morning, feeling better than he did the night before. He felt a little more spirited, stretching in his place on the bed before looking at his partner. The fact that Dib had been sharing his bed so often lately made him wonder if he really needed the extra apartment, but he let that thought go when he felt his stomach growl. He rolled away from Dib and looked for something to wear, deciding to slip on some boxers and a shirt before pulling his hair into a loose bun. Zim was probably out there, he thought, but he didn’t know what the other would be doing.

True to his assumptions, Zim was sitting on his couch still, as if he hadn’t left it since the night before. “Hope you found something to eat.” Damien told him, smiling.

Zim glanced over to the coffee table, where a few packages of fun dip were torn open and devoured. “Yes.” He answered simply.

“You found my stash.” Damien looked amused, making his way to the kitchen. “What else do Irkens eat, I was thinking about making waffles.”

“There’s not much Earth food out there that I would actually put into my mouth.” Zim climbed over the couch and followed Damien, sitting at the dining table. “But if you’re making it, I’ll try something.”

The man blushed slightly, looking away nervously. “T…that…” He cleared his throat. “Um, whatever happened between us, do you think we can forget about it?”

Zim tilted his head, “What do you mean?”

Damien gestured with his hands, trying to find words for it, “The _thing_ , I mean…you’re pretty great and all, but I’m already taken, and…”

“ _Oh_.” Zim acted like he was catching on, nodding, “No worries, I can forget that easy-peasy.”

The words made Damien smile, and he clasped his hands together. “Thank you, I owe you big.”

Zim set his chin in his hand, drumming his claws on the table, “You can start by helping me with my pack.” When Damien looked confused Zim threw his thumb back at the workstation, “You’re an engineer.”

Damien’s eyebrows raised and he nodded, grinning, “Y-yeah, I’m actually pretty good at it. You want help, I could possibly do that for you. All you need to do is direct me.”

Zim looked pleased, happy that he was going to get his pack fixed now than when he returned to his base. The look of eagerness in Damien’s eyes was too good for him to say no to.

It was a half-hour later when Dib finally awoke from his sleep, reaching over to Damien’s side of the bed and feeling nothing, however the smell of waffles began to hit his nostrils. He smiled at that, rolling over on his side and sitting up, fishing for his glasses. “I have a feeling I’m going to move in here.” He said to himself, finding his clothes.

When he came out of the room Damien was in the process of making a stack of waffles, some of which were being eaten by Zim, the alien not even complaining. Dib recalled the moment Gir created waffles and the 24 hour feed of Zim eating them with complaint, yet…

He blinked, scratching his head. “How long have you been awake?”

Damien turned away from the stove, smiling. “Just a half-hour. Need to get started if I’m going to feed Matthew and Dakota, they’re probably starving.”

“They’re probably still asleep.” Dib countered, sitting down at the table. Zim paid him little to no attention, “We’re going to have to take them back to New Haven.”

“You can do that.” Damien said offhandedly. “I’d rather stay here.”

Dib frowned. The last thing he wanted was to leave Damien out of his sight for more than an hour, especially when Zim was going to be with him. “Why?” He was curious.

“Too much travel for the entire week.” Damien told him, sighing. “I just want one day where I can stay home and relax before anything else happens. Just a few days ago we were at Paisley Cove.”

“Yes but I don’t want to leave you alone just in case something happens.” Dib argued, frowning. “What if something happens while I’m gone?”

“Agent Darkbootie isn’t going to be coming near us.” Damien reassured him.

That’s not what I meant, Dib thought. He did his best not to look at Zim, not trusting the alien one bit. He knew Zim, he knew what Zim could do. “Can we just relax after coming back from New Haven?” He asked weakly.

Damien went quiet for a moment, going back to his pan. “Why is it that I’m always having to drop everything I’m doing for something you want?” He asked quietly.

Dib stilled, “What do you mean?”

“I mean ever since we hooked up I’ve been doing things you want to do. I have things to work on.” Damien gestured to his workstation, “I have commissions that are a few days late, but every time I get a chance to work on them either I’m dropping it to go to Paisley Cove or follow a hunch and go rescue an alien from a facility.”

A heavy weight settled in his stomach and Dib could feel the agitation in Damien’s voice. The last thing he wanted to do was make him annoyed. He had a point, and it was mostly because Dib was too much of a coward to call his father—

Shit. His father!

“Hold the topic I’ll be right back.” Dib got up quickly and darted to the bedroom, shutting the door. The last thing he wanted was Gaz to call and lecture him about being a pussy.

Damien watched him leave, sighing. “Was I too harsh?” He asked Zim.

The Irken shook his head, “The Dib-thing has always been selfish, you are completely fine. You deserve whatever you want.”

He listened to Dib’s voice, and the words that were muffled, one of them being _dad_. He started to think, how long had it been since Dib had gone to work? Was Dib finally confronting his father? “All I want to do is stay home.” He said then, flipping a waffle onto a plate.

“Zim sees no problem with that request, perhaps you can work on my pack.”

The engineer smiled a little, “That sounds like fun.” He went quiet again to listen to Dib’s voice, thinking even more. Dib was going to quit his job wasn’t he? That didn’t make any sense to him, how was he going to support himself? Damien turned off the burner and went over to the door, knocking once before coming inside.

“—I don’t need Doctor Klinger’s help, dad. I’m not going crazy!”

Damien tapped his boyfriend’s shoulder, taking the phone out of his hands when Dib turned around. The scientist sputtered, “Damien—“ He shut up when Damien held his free hand up.

“Is this Professor Membrane?” Damien turned on his charm just for one more time. “Ah, you don’t know me, but my name is Damien. Damien Duvatt. I’m your son’s boyfriend—oh, he didn’t mention that yet, had he?” He smirked Dib’s way, turning towards the door, “May I ask, what has your son done to make him crazy?”

Dib watched on, staring at Damien and wondering where this was going.

“Oh, because he believes in the paranormal? I don’t really see how that’s something to be labelled as insane, parascience itself is a branch of real science, is it not?” He smiled, “Come now, while how much science can prove the existence of anything and everything, aren’t you the least bit concerned with what science _can’t_ explain? The unknown, as they call it. UFOs, creatures, sea-dwelling humanoids with fins. They’re all perfectly real.” He paused for a moment, starting to laugh, “Come now, Professor, we’re both accomplished scientists—yes, me as well. You’ve heard of the Duvatt and Paige families, have you? One of them work underneath you in New Haven.”

Dib moved to sit on the bed, so curious to see where this was playing out.

“I’m Daniel’s nephew, yes. You’ll find me as an accomplished scientist in the parascience branch. Now, why do you think that Dib might be insane for claiming the validity of aliens and other things when you yourself used alien blood on a squadron of Marines during a field test?” Damien grinned wickedly, “Why do I know that? Well, my cousin, Dakota Paige? Well she’s married to your longest-living test subject, Matthew Drake. Please, Professor, can you explain to me why you devalue something your son loves so passionately while you yourself believe in the same thing?”

Damien pulled the phone away from his ear, putting it on speaker.

“ _—he just doesn’t understand how dangerous the unknown elements can be. Mr. Duvatt I understand where you’re coming from but you’re not a father. I’m the only parent that Dib has left, and I’ve already lost my wife. The last thing I’d want to lose is a son on top of that. If me trying to discourage him from such a dangerous profession makes me turn out to be the bad guy, I’d rather be the villain than be facing another tombstone.”_

Dib’s eyes widened, and his hand went to his mouth.

_“I know what’s out there, Damien. You know what’s out there as well, I don’t want to lose my son to anything that can easily kill him and take him away from me, or his sister. I only wanted him tostay safe, that’s why I had him work with me. I want to keep my eyes on him at all costs, because I’m afraid what might happen. When that alien of his disappeared all those years ago, I felt like it was my chance to get my son back.”_

Damien went quiet for a moment, quirking a brow, “You do know he wasn’t happy, do you?”

_“That’s what the medications were for, that’s what the therapist was for. I was trying to make this easier for him.”_

“Actually, you made it harder for him. Professor, when I first met your son he was a wreck. He was a shell of a human being. He wasn’t happy, and he wasn’t the least bit healthy. If that’s how you handle protecting your son then you’re doing it wrong.”

There was silence on both ends, and Dib couldn’t fight back the tears.

Damien took the phone off of speaker, putting it back to his ear. “How about this? I don’t think you want to see your son struggling on the street, so whatever he’s saying about quitting your company, ignore it. Let him do what he loves, open up a wing dedicated to parascience and allow him to run it. If you trust your son then he will make sure he won’t get himself killed.” Damien went quiet for a beat, smiling, “Offering me a job as well? Well, as it happens, I left the organization I was previously in, so whatever I was doing before, my work will be cut substantially. What do I do? I’m an engineer. Yes, I’m a paranormal investigator as well as an engineer, I make tools for people who commission me for work…” Damien’s eyes brightened, “You’re asking me to help you make satellites? W-why yeah, I can send you my resume at any time.”

Dib wiped the tears from his face, standing up and approaching him, wordlessly asking Damien for the phone.

“I’ll get Dib to email it to you later today.” He grinned wider now, “Your son wants to talk to you.” He handed Dib the phone and let out a childlike giggle, “We’re going to be working together.” He hugged Dib tight, laughing.

Dib laughed too, shoving Damien away, “Yeah, Dad, what do you have to tell me? Yeah I have a minute.” He leaned over to give Damien a kiss on the cheek before the other man left the room, feeling giddier than he did just ten minutes ago.

Zim had been keeping an eye on the door, watching how Damien’s mood had changed. “What happened?”

“I got a job.” Damien looked overjoyed, “I’m going to be working with Dib.” He sat down at the kitchen table, giving Zim a goofy smile.

The Irken said nothing, only turning his attention to the front door when Matthew and Dakota came in.

“I smell waffles!” Matthew said with a grin.

“Have a seat I have great news!” Damien smiled. Zim was left to think to himself, watching Damien intently.

He had to act fast.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dad is an electrical engineer, I know a thing or two about wiring.

The fifteen-minute long conversation became an hour after Damien had spoke to the man, and Dib suddenly had a new understanding of his own father. He was so elated on how everything was changing that he didn’t bother thinking twice when Damien insisted on staying home to rest, his mind preoccupied with what his father was planning when Dib went back to work. The fact that Damien was going to be working with him was more than enough for him.

After Dib had showered and dressed he took Damien’s car to drive the couple back home to New Haven. Damien stayed behind, sitting on the couch with his tools while Zim sat in front of him, his back to the engineer while he began inspecting the inner workings of Irken technology.

“You should be seeing a panel with screws, five tiny ones, you won’t be able to get them with the bigger ones you have now.”

Damien reached over to his toolbox and pulled out the smallest screwdriver he had, so small and thin it looked almost like a toothpick. “How’s this?” He reached forward to show it to him. Zim kept staring at it for a moment, thinking before nodding in approval. “Make sure not to lose the screws.”

The man nodded, putting on some magnifying goggles that had a flashlight attachment, leaning in and carefully working at the panel. After three screws the panel began to get loose, but on the last one he left it halfway screwed, allowing the panel to hang. “I see three disconnected blue wires.”

“Those are what they cut, you’re going to have to fix those and reconnect them. Be sure to match one half to the other, each one has a different shade.”

“I can see why you couldn’t do this yourself.” Damien thought aloud, getting his wire stripper ready. This would take more than ten minutes and you didn’t even have the correct tools.”

“Make sure to do it correctly.” Zim pressed.

“What do I look like, a child?” Damien grinned slightly and put on his goggles again, shining the light on the wires and matching one side with another, beginning to strip the two he needed before solder them back together. He took a piece of electrical tape after that and used it to cover the exposed wire. “You can replace the protection I’m placing over it, I just don’t want exposed wires.”

“At least you’re not inept.” Zim waited patiently for Damien to finish the second wire, wanting to test it out but knowing that it would only hinder the man’s work. “Tell me when you’re done so I can test this.”

Damien remained quiet as he continued to work. He had to be precise given that he was working in such a cramped space. When he was done with the second he went onto the third, the smell of burning ions filling the air around them. After what seemed to be forever, Damien finally finished, taping the third wire. “Okay, test it.” He said then.

Zim moved away and did just that, feeling his spider-legs extend from the interior of his pack. He moved them around, carrying himself up off the couch before having them return and replacing them with his jetpack, the Irken cycling through all of his equipment before settling back in front of Damien.

The engineer had watched with some awe with every other tool that extended from Zim’s pack, wondering how all that equipment could fit inside that little backpack-sized tool. “Nice.” He unplugged the soldering iron and set it aside, picking up the screwdriver, “Now hold still while I lock this back in.”

Putting the panel back on didn’t take that long, and when Damien was finished he sighed contently, “That was easier than I thought it’d be.”

Zim turned around, “It’s only easy because you knew what you were doing, unlike some other humans. Most of the human population on this planet are stupid.”

Damien shrugged, “They’re trying their best.”

The Irken raised an antennae in doubt but said nothing, “Now that I can access my pack again, I can finally reward you.” As he said it an arm extended from his pack, handing Zim a small bottle full of translucent liquid. Damien watched him, smiling slightly.

“Please tell me that’s a cure to all of life’s ailments.” He said jokingly.

If Zim was able to roll his eyes he would have done so, uncapping the bottle and placing it under his nose. “Smell it.”

Damien didn’t think anything of it, inhaling whatever scent that came out of it. It smelled warm, the scent making his spine tingle all the way down to his groin and he couldn’t help but groan quietly, shifting in his seat. “What…”

Zim smiled slowly, “It’s better when you taste it.” His voice was low and he pressed forward, tipping the bottle at Damien’s lips, “Try it.”

Damien couldn’t really think at the moment, the warm scent of the liquid making his mind fuzzy. He opened his mouth obediently for Zim and the Irken tipped the bottle further, pouring it into his mouth. Damien swallowed, warmth pooling at his belly and the taste of chocolate filling his senses. He reached up to hold Zim’s wrist, wanting to drink the rest of it and moaning when the Irken allowed him to. Within seconds he began to feel hot, the heat going from his belly to his groin and he whimpered, “What—“

Zim tossed the empty bottle aside, reaching out to pet Damien’s cheek. “It’s a rare drink you can only find on the lower recesses of Foodcourtia, known as Galactic Heat. Those who drink it are unable to control their inhibitions.”

Damien couldn’t stand being so hot, but it seemed Zim was already ahead of him, using his claws to rip away the shirt he was wearing so Damien could toss it aside without a care. He couldn’t think right now, feeling an uncontrollable need for release. He was already hard, reaching out for Zim and leaning forward to kiss him desperately. Zim returned it, quickly taking control of the situation, pressing forward with a raw and passionate kiss that overpowered the engineer greatly. Damien ended up on his back against the couch, breathing heavily when the kiss had ended but only wanting more. “Zim—“ He couldn’t manage more than one word.

The Irken purred, reaching down to shred Damien’s boxers away from his body, taking the man’s cock within his hand. He watched as Damien sharply sucked in his breath and rocked his hips up, enjoying the feeling that Zim was giving him. The man was consumed with lust and the need to feel his release, rocking up into Zim’s hand while the Irken took full advantage of his condition.

”You need to remember who you belong to, my lovely pet.” Zim said quietly, releasing him only to shed himself of his tights. There was no visible genitalia, but a slit that was already slick and waiting. Zim crawled back onto Damien, straddling his hips and taking the man’s cock in his hands, positioning himself over the throbbing member before lowering himself down. Zim groaned, feeling how hard Damien was inside of him, his own tentacle-like appendage curling around Damien’s cock and squeezing. Damien whimpered, bucking his hips up but Zim sharply rocked back down onto him.

Then, out from Zim’s pack, came a snake-like appendage, slick in some kind of lubricant. It lowered towards Damien’s ass and prodded at his hole. Damien sucked in air as it pressed into him and he cried out, his hands gripping Zim’s hips as the Irken filled him up and started to thrust. The man underneath him was pulled into a trance-like state of lust, moaning with every thrust and whispering pleas in his native tongue. Zim only grinned a shark-like grin, taking pleasure from controlling his pet’s.

“Feel Zim.” He said to Damien in a low purr, “Not even He can give you this pleasure. Don’t you feel satisfied with Zim?”

Damien whimpered again, “Por favor más...” he begged.

The metal appendage inside Damien thrust hard, making the engineer cry out, and Zim began to ride him, also wanting to feel his own release. The more he moved the more Damien was being driven to the edge from the overstimulation, and it wasn’t long until Damien was bucking against Zim as his orgasm rolled into him. Though, as Damien felt the relief of pleasure wash over him, the Irken didn’t stop, rolling his hips down against the man’s cock while his own appendage began to twist and vibrate inside of him.

Damien was being pulled further into that state of uncontrolled bliss, unable to think. A voice in the back of his mind was screaming that this shouldn’t be happening but he ignored it to keep himself drowning in this pleasure. Zim could see the trance the man was currently in, brought on by the drug along with the sensations he was feeling. “You want to return with Zim, yes?” The Irken asked, reaching forward to pet Damien’s cheek. He was pliable In this state. “You would rather live the rest of your life with Zim, would you? No one else can give you this pleasure, you belong with your master, your mate.”

Zim could feel Damien tense around him, and he increased his thrusts until he heard Damien cry out his second orgasm, feeling the man’s come fill him up. “You want this, you want to be Zim’s pet.”

“Zim—“

“Who’s your mate?” Zim asked, slipping his claws into Damien’s mouth. “Who do you want to keep you in bliss?”

Damien shuddered from under him, unable to think from the drug he was given. All he could do was feel, drowning in a kind of pleasure that he had never had in his life. All he knew was that it was Zim making him feel this good and he didn’t want to stop. “Z-Zim!” He whimpered out, he only wanted Zim. His master.

Though wasn’t he promised to another, the voice in the back of his mind asked. Damien couldn’t recall who it was, but Zim was the only one in his thoughts.

Damien was being lulled deeper and deeper into mindlessness, any thoughts he had before erased with the need to obey his master, to do as his mate wanted from him. He felt the Irken’s lips on his and Damien responded immediately, pressing back against the kiss and sighing in his lulled state of bliss. Zim only grinned, “You belong to Zim, yes?”

Damien nodded obediently, feeling another orgasm build up inside of him. Zim finally began to feel his own orgasm coil tighter and tighter until it finally burst. The Irken screamed out, arching against Damien and cumming, his orgasm triggering Damien’s as the man joined him. The two of them went limp, Zim falling against Damien until his pack began to whirr and send a jolt through his body, kickstarting the Irken back into consciousness. Zim sat back up, staring down at Damien and seeing that he passed out from the intensity. He grinned slowly, slipping out of him, his appendage following and retreating back into his pack.

“It’s time to return to our base.” Zim told the sleeping engineer, brushing some hair from his eyes. “You won’t remember Dib at all when I’m done with you.”

* * *

When Dib had returned to the apartment complex it was noon. He was hungry from the drive, having dropped Dakota and Matthew off at their house and come straight back home. They were excited that Damien was getting an actual job, because apparently he’d been living off of commissions ever since he was in college. Though, as he got out of the car his earlier thoughts resurfaced, how Dib had left Damien alone with Zim. Without any more thought he began speed walking to Damien’s apartment, stopping just down the hallway to the open door. There wasn’t any sound coming from the inside, no blaring music or anything of the sort, just pure silence. Dib quickly ran into the room and there he could see it, the remnants of Damien’s clothing. A simmering heat boiled inside of him, rising as he quickly checked all of the rooms. He grit his teeth, the heat becoming a boil as he felt his anger overtake the situation. “I should have KNOWN!” He cried out is anger, heading back to the door before stopping, turning around and heading to Damien’s kitchen, finding a knife block and choosing the biggest one there.

He promised himself a long time ago that if anyone came between him and Damien that he’d murder them, and he didn’t care if that person was a conniving and evil Irken that he used to be friends with.

Dib shut the door to Damien’s apartment and went into his own, searching his files for the blueprints to the base and a few more gadgets he had unearthed with his collection. When he was satisfied he left his apartment, hurrying back out to the car. The knife and the rest of his equipment was placed in the passenger’s seat and he strapped himself in, pulling out of the lot. There was still a sort of mystery with this car, that every time him or Damien sped over the limit the police were never around, and he hoped the mystery was still true for now. He pressed down on the gas, making his way back to Zim’s base as fast as he could go, cutting through red lights at every possible moment. The only thing on his mind was Damien, getting him back and making sure that Zim would never do this again, if that meant slicing his throat to get the point across then he had little qualms in doing that.

He parked close to Zim’s house, staring at the building through the window and grabbing his knife. The lawn gnomes were his first obstacle. He looked through what he had, taking out one of his smoke bombs. He made sure to gear himself up before leaving the car, the smoke bomb in his hand as he approached the front yard. As expected, the lawn gnomes turned to him and Dib grinned, tossing the smoke bomb forward. The lawn gnome fired a laser at the projectile, though it only caused the bomb to explode, clouding the area. Dib sprinted forward, managing to dive into one of the windows. He landed hard onto the floor with an oof, rolling back up and looking around. He couldn’t see anyone or anything, but he knew just by the lawn gnomes that he was there.

Dib didn’t waste any time, making his way into the kitchen to find one of the elevators into the base. He was still scrawny enough to use the trash can, fitting himself through and dragging his items with him. The Irken lettering to the elevator was rusty in his memory but he pressed a button that he was familiar with, and the elevator began to descend.

_“Do you really THINK that you would be able to enter my base without my knowledge?”_ Zim’s voice boomed over a speaker, and the elevator shuddered. Dib looked up to see the Irken’s face on one of the cameras, glowering at him.

“You know why I’m here Zim, and the fact that you assumed I’d let you have Damien was a stupid move on your part.”

_“There is no assuming, Irkens take what they want, they do not ask. Da-mi-en belongs to Zim.”_

Dib felt a fire burning inside of him. “Oh, if you think I’m going to let you have him than you’re wrong.”

_“Then we’ll settle this once and for all.”_ Zim snarled out, _“Meet me in the lower levels, area 5-A. We will settle this how Irkens settle their disputes.”_

“How so?”

_“A battle to the death.”_

The fire inside of Dib didn’t die out, only burning hotter now that he knew what he was going to do. He didn’t show any sign of weakness, glaring at the Irken on the screen.

“Get ready to die.”

* * *

Deep within the recesses of the base, Damien was in a tube. His hair was floating around him, and even if the tube was filled with green gel, he was still breathing. Zim had his eyes on the man inside the tube, grinning and moving to touch the glass. “I’ll return quickly. It’s amusing to think the human is a match to superior Irken strength.” He was talking to Damien, even if the man couldn’t respond. “I’ll return with his head.” His touch lingered on the glass a moment more before he left the area, into an elevator and away from the room.

It had been nearly fifteen minutes until Damien’s eyes began to twitch, and the man groaned slightly, rolling his head to get the stiffness out before opening his eyes. “Huh?” He blinked, raising his hand and pressing it to the glass in front of him. His mind was a garbled mess of thoughts and memories, nothing certain in his mind. What had happened to him? How did he get here?

Though whatever was garbled became clear quickly, and the memory of what had happened shocked him. His eyebrows raised, remembering. He was fixing Zim’s pack, then he pulled out a bottle…after that everything took a different turn and he lost his senses. The memory was vivid in his mind and he shuddered, recalling each and every second. Damien felt sick immediately, needing to escape the tube he was in. He made a fist within his hands and slammed it against the glass, only to find that it didn’t crack. He tried it again, harder and wincing from the pain.

“Fuck.” He hissed out, though part of him was wondering how the hell he was breathing in this liquid, the other part didn’t care less. He looked around, “Zim?” He called out, but there was no answer, “Zim!”

Zim was waiting in the arena-like area of the lowest recesses of his base. It was so low that the temperature was cooler than normal. He was patiently waiting for Dib to enter, keeping an eye on the main elevator.

He didn’t have to wait long, and it came quickly, Dib emerging from behind the doors. He hadn’t been this far down in the base before, and he looked around for a moment to gather himself before laying them on Zim. He chucked off his extra gear, but kept the knife with him. “It’s only fair that I have a weapon.” He told the alien first and foremost.

Zim snorted in amusement, “Your race is pathetic and weak, even with a weapon you are still no match against an Irken Invader. Have your silly little weapon, this won’t take long.”

“You underestimate me Zim.” Dib shouted, “You decided to take the only thing I care about, and that’s enough to empower me through this. You have no idea what revenge can do to a human’s determination.”

Zim stepped further out into the arena, “Let’s get started then. I’ll allow you the first blow.”

Dib’s hands were shaking by now, and he kept his focus on Zim, stepping out and attacking him with a cry.

“FUCK!”

Damien wondered if he broke his hand attempting to break the glass, and smacked it with his good hand. He determined that it wasn’t normal glass, slumping forward and leaning his forehead against the tank.

He could hear voices in the distance, loud screaming, though coming from a small speaker. They sounded familiar.

_“You’re no match for me, Dib!”_ Came the Irken’s laughter.

_“This is not OVER!”_ Dib’s screaming followed, and it was the screaming that perked Damien’s attention, feeling a cold chill go down his spine. Suddenly he had to get out of the tank. Damien began to think, wondering just how he could break it and thinking about his telekinesis. But would that be enough to break the glass? No, not alone, but he needed to apply some force. He moved to the side he was hitting before, leaning against it and raising his foot to shove it against the backside of the tube, clenching his teeth as he pushed as hard as possible. From there he did his best to focus on the glass itself, applying more pressure to the glass in certain areas so he could weaken it.

He could still faintly hear the fighting, the guttural screams when someone was torn into, and he realized that it was _Dib_. Damien doubled his efforts, crying out when the glass finally began to slowly crack around him, and with a shatter his body fell forward, landing on his back—yet also landing on broken glass shards. He winced as he felt the slices of glass to his flesh, doing his best to ignore the pain while he stood up. He was wet and naked, his hair plastered to his shoulders and back but none of that was important.

He wobbled as he walked but managed to keep his balance, making his way to the console that was displaying the battle that was taking place. Damien sucked in a breath, staring up at the screen. Dib’s shoulder had been pierced by one of Zim’s pack legs, and he was trying to fight the Irken, barely managing to hurt him enough to incapacitate him. The weapon he had before was lost, tossed over to the side of the arena. From the looks of it, Zim was toying with him. Taking his time in brutalizing the man before he finally decided to kill him. This fight wasn’t a fair one in the slightest, and Damien knew personally that Dib wasn’t strong enough to handle him.

Damien glared at the screen, slamming his hands on the console, “Tell me where they are!” He cried.

* * *

Yes, Dib was out of his element. He had _zero_ fighting experience while Zim had been in the Irken Elite. The fight had been unfair to begin with, and whatever homicidal urges he had inside of him weren’t enough to even out the fight in the slightest. The pain in his shoulder was unbearable, as the pack leg had speared right though him. He was still bleeding, and despite bringing a first-aid kit in his gear he had no time to use it. He screamed again, barely dodging Zim’s pack leg a second time, trying to get to his knife, the only weapon he had, but every time he tried to make for it Zim would drag him back. Zim managed to grasp Dib by his jacket this time, pulling him back just enough to put him in a headlock, applying pressure.

“Maybe I should just end your misery now. I’m sure you won’t want to live through this humiliation, would you? The Mighty Dib being taken down by the one thing he is obsessed with the most…” He grinned, “Or… _was_ obsessed with the most, before he decided to SELL ME OUT to his organization so he could find a new alien!” He let him go only to grasp him by his wound, forcing Dib to face him. “I won’t let that happen a second time!”

Dib’s eyes went wide and he howled in pain, “Y-yo-you think I sold you out?” He cried, “I didn’t do any of that!” He was doing his best not to tear up, “Didn’t you hear him? He took you from me without my knowledge!”

“YES BUT WHO GAVE HIM THE INFORMATION?” Zim snarled, droplets of saliva spitting on his face, “WHO DOCUMENTED EVERYTHING ABOUT ME AND FED IT TO THEM?”

“I DIDN’T KNOW THEY WOULD DO THIS!” Dib screamed as Zim dug into his wound, breathing heavily. “If I knew I wouldn’t have—“

“Your big-headed apologizes won’t work here, Dib.” Zim hissed, “I’m going to destroy you. I’ve lured your mate to me and now I’m going to leave you for dead, after that I’m going to make sure Da-mi-en won’t ever remember your ugly face.”

“Damien is MINE!” Dib shouted, trying to twist away from his grip. The loss of blood was starting to make him woozy.

“You relinquished that right to him once he was placed in my cell.” Zim ground out, “Now I’m going to do him a favor and get rid of _you_.” He poised himself to tear into Dib but before Zim’s claws could touch his throat a strong invisible force ripped Zim away from his prey, slamming him into the farthest wall.

Dib took a gasping breath, having shut his eyes thinking he was going to die. He opened them, turning back and seeing Damien standing there, his glowing eyes locked on Zim’s crumpled body.

The man didn’t say anything, and when Zim attempted to move out of the indented metal wall he was against Damien slammed his body back into it. He was seething, only seeing red while the blood in his body was boiling so hot that he could burn the air around him. He repeated the process again and again, slamming the Irken into the wall with tremendous force, the Irken becoming more and more broken with each go. After a moment he noticed the knife on the floor near Zim’s body and he raised his hand, grabbing it with his telekinesis and bringing it right in front of Zim, poised to cut into the Irken’s body. The Irken shakily looked up, wincing from the pain he was in before his blood ran cold, unable to tear his eyes away from the knife threatening to end him.

Dib watched in shock, never having seen Damien so violent before. He felt sick to his stomach, looking away from Zim and over to Damien, limping over to the man and grasping his raised wrist with his good hand. “No.”

Dib’s voice made Damien falter, “He nearly killed you.” He said in a harsh tone.

“I know that, but you can’t kill him.” Dib said quietly, “You don’t believe in that, and if you murder Zim you won’t be able to live with yourself.”

The longer Dib spoke the less Damien felt his rage, and with a flick of his wrist the knife was tossed aside, the man looking away from Zim and to Dib, his hand moving to his shoulder. “You need healing.”

Dib nodded, directing Damien to his gear before dropping to the floor. Damien hurried over to retrieve what he needed and back to Dib, working on stopping the blood flow.

Zim stared on in silence, watching how Dib just kept Damien from killing him. _Dib_. His nemesis. The one he was trying to kill, taking mercy on Zim. He didn’t know what to think about that, his whole body screaming in pain. The longer he watched the two interact the more he realized that he wasn’t going to win, not now. He managed to pull himself free of his metal prison, falling forward and breathing heavily. He needed time in a healing tank. “Computer, take me to the medical bay.” He commanded.

Dib watched as a metal plate rose Zim up from the ground and took him away. Damien’s eyes followed, frowning. “Are you sure?” He asked again.

The scientist didn’t answer, finally getting up and reaching up to kiss Damien. “Let’s leave before he changes his mind.”

Damien nodded, helping Dib to his feet and taking the gear, using the elevator to take them up to the house. They noticed, as they passed the lawn gnomes, that none of them tried to shoot. Dib took that as a sign.

From there they went back to the apartment complex, and Dib bypassed his own apartment entirely to go to Damien’s, “Get some clothes on.” He told him, “I’m shocked no one called the police.”

“Because I’m a model of beauty.” Damien quipped in return, but he was too tired for it to be anything other than hallow words. “Let’s clean up first.” He reached over to take Dib’s hand, “And while we’re there we can talk about future living arrangements.”

Dib looked up at him, “What do you mean?”

The engineer smiled, “You never use your own apartment, so maybe you should just move in here full time…”

The loving tone in Damien’s voice had Dib’s heart fluttering and he pulled the other into a kiss. “Are you sure?”

“It’s not every day that your boyfriend goes to face down an evil alien to save you, so yes, I’m being dead serious.”

“I…I would love that. But, can we add something to it?”

Damien smiled, “What?”

“I want to move somewhere else, where Zim doesn’t know where we are.” Dib told him. The two went quiet for a moment before Damien leaned his forehead against Dib’s, sighing.

“We can do that.”

* * *

Zim was floating inside the healing tank, the nanobots working on every inch of his broken body and slowly repairing it to health. He only kept himself submerged, lying back and recalling everything that happened.

Damien had tried to murder him, and Dib stopped him. One would think it would be the other way around, but no, the man who said he refused to murder had become filled with rage and had a wonton lust for revenge.

It made him look even more attractive than he was before, and Zim wondered just how he could bring that emotion out of Damien so that it would stay. Meekrob were a pacifistic species, but when they were angry they would lay waste to civilizations. Damien had just given Zim a taste of what he was able to accomplish.

The sad thing was that he couldn’t try anything. No, Da-mi-en made it clear that he was devoted to the Dib-thing, and that nothing was going to ever drive them apart.

However, both Irkens and Meekrob had the longest lifespans in the universe, and Zim had enough patience to wait for Dib to die from his mortality.

His time would come soon enough, he thought, smiling.


End file.
